Chitose's Vacation
by Hallwings
Summary: Due to a termite infection of the Hitotose mansion, everyone will have to live somewhere else for at least a week. See inside for complete summary. Platinum Chapter up. PLEASE R&R! All stories currently on hiatus.
1. Hitotose, We Have a Problem

Disclaimer: I do not own "Happy Lesson," its characters or concepts.

Brief synopsis: Due to a termite infection of the Hitotose mansion, everyone will have to live somewhere else for at least a week. Mutsuki decides to visit her parents Hokkaido, Yayoi goes on a spiritual journey in the Akaishi, Uzuki catches up with old friends in Kyoto, Kisaragi decides to pay a visit to Kanna (and make sure she isn't planning any world domination plots or ideas to kidnap Chitose), and Satsuki plans to visit her family in Shikoku. With Chitose unable to spend time with his sisters (Hazuki plans to spend some quality time with Minazuki since she's been given an extended break from touring), that means he has to go with one of the mamas for a whole week.

* * *

_**(Wednesday, July 10, 2002)**_

"AA-CHOO!"

Mama Mutsuki had been like that for the past few days. She was feeling a lot better, but she still needed to stay home for at least another day. Yayoi was staying with her to make sure her condition didn't get any worse while everyone else went to school. Chitose did offer to stay home to take care of her, but Mutsuki sent him off to school, threatening him with extra homework the day that she got back.

It was lunchtime and Yayoi was preparing an ancient remedy that would help Mutsuki with her cold when she heard something suspicious from the walls.

"That's strange…"

The school nurse/miko immediately grabbed her sword and cautiously moved towards the source of the noise. Sidling against the wall, Yayoi was feeling across the wall with her hands until she noticed a hollow part of the wall. This immediately worried the nurse/miko.

* * *

A few hours later, a pest-control specialist, Shigeru Yamamoto, was conversing with Yayoi Sanzenin about their…problem.

"Basically, Miss Sanzenin, your pest problem is as bad as the Black Plague of the mid-14th Century," Shigeru stated. "Okay, I may be exaggerating a little, but you get my point." At that point, Mutsuki entered the living room (a.k.a. Chitose's bedroom). Yayoi immediately stood up.

"Mutsuki, you should be in bed!"

"I'm sorry, Yayoi," said Mutsuki. "I needed to use the restroom, and I noticed you were in the living room." She then noticed Shigeru sitting next to her on the couch. "Um, Yayoi…who is he?"

"I'm very sorry, Mutsuki." Yayoi introduced Mutsuki to the pest-control specialist, who then told both ladies in detail about their problem.

"So, what you're saying is that we'll need to leave the house for about a week?" asked Mutsuki.

"That's basically what I'm saying," said Shigeru. "Based on the size of the house, as well as the location of the termites' breeding ground, it is going to a week, maybe more to get this infestation under control. Now, my first question is that, besides the two of you, is there anyone else that's living in this house?"

"Well…," both Yayoi and Mutsuki started

* * *

It was dinnertime at the Hitotose residence, and Mutsuki (who had recovered a little more during the past few hours) and Yayoi decided to break the news to the other Mamas (Satsuki, Uzuki, and Kisaragi), as well as Chitose.

"Gee, what a bummer," said Kisaragi.

"So, what are we going to do for the next week or so?" Satsuki asked.

"Why don't we go on a family vacation?" Uzuki suggested.

"No," Chitose simply stated.

"But, Chitose…"

"The last time we went on a family vacation, you moms got to go, while I was tied up in the garage and I ended up having to baby-sit Kanna and take care of an injured puppy," Chitose explained about the time Kanna set a trap to send the girls away on a hot springs trip while she tried to kidnap him.

"I don't remember that happening," said Uzuki.

"Chitose was replaced by a Shoddily-made Duplicate, Version 1.2," Kisaragi explained, to the confusion of the other moms. "I actually noticed."

"So, what are we all going to do then?" Chitose asked.

"Well, I've been planning to go on a spiritual journey in the Akaishi Mountains for a while," said Yayoi. "I guess I take that trip now."

"And I can catch up with my cosplay group," said Uzuki.

"Cosplay group?" Satsuki asked.

"Yeah, it's a group of friends from high school and college. Most of them live in Kyoto. We cosplayed all the time."

"Well, that explains the angel costume," Chitose stated under this breath.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Uzuki shouted.

"Nothing."

"I could visit Kanna for a while," Kisaragi said. "That, and make sure she doesn't make any plans for world domination or kidnapping Chitose."

"I feel very safe now, Mama Kisaragi," said Chitose.

"Well, I guess I could visit my parents in Hokkaido," said Mutsuki.

"Hokkaido?" Chitose wondered.

"Yes," Mutsuki continued. "My mother was a figure skater at the Sapporo Olympics. She liked the area so much that after I settled down here, they decided to move there." Sighing, Mutsuki said, "I haven't seen them in such a long time."

"Speaking of family," Satsuki said, "I was going to meet up with my family in a few days. They live in Tokushima. What do you plan to do, Chitose?"

"Huh?" Chitose was half staring into space. "Did you say something, Mama Satsuki?"

"I was wondering if you were going to spend time with Minazuki and Hazuki."

"Well," Chitose said, "I'm actually going to call Mina after dinner and tell her what's been going on."

"Well, why don't you call her right now?" Mutsuki asked. "I'm sure Minazuki will want to spend time with you."

"Really?" Chitose asked. "Wow, thanks Mama Mutsuki." (he then got out of his chair and went over to the telephone. Now, the moms were all alone at the table.

"You know…," Yayoi started, "Now that I think about it, this is going to be the first time since we became Chitose's mothers that we're going to be apart for an extended period."

"Yeah," Satsuki agreed. The five mothers sighed at the realization.

* * *

"What do you mean, I can't stay with you guys?" Chitose was actually talking with Hazuki Yazakura, his adopted older sister, who is also a famous pop idol. She lived in a nearby condominium with their adopted younger sister, Minazuki Rokumatsuri, or Mina for short. Because Hazuki toured Japan most of the time, Mina often stayed at the condo by herself.

"I'm so sorry, Chi, but this is the first time in so long that I've been able to have time to myself," Hazuki was calling from their condo, while Mina was standing next to her. "I want to spend some quality girl time with Mina, so I hope you understand."

Sighing, Chitose reluctantly agreed. "Okay, but who am I going to stay with? Mama Yayoi probably wants to go on her journey alone, and there's no way I'm going with Mama Kisaragi."

"I tell you what, Chi," Hazuki said, "Next time I get some time off, we'll spend the day together, just the three of us."

"Hazuki, I owe you one…big time," Chitose said. "So, what are you two going to do?"

"I don't know yet," Hazuki said, "but you have my cell phone number, so you can call me whenever you want. I'll talk to you in the morning."

"Okay. Good night, sis," Chitose said.

"Good night, Chi," Hazuki then hung up on her side. Chitose then pondered about what he was going to do.

"Maybe I can ask Mama Uzuki if I can go with her."

* * *

"Sorry, Chitose, but our Cosplay Group is a very exclusive club."

"Well," Chitose said, "I just thought I'd ask, Mama Uzuki."

"I tell you what, Chitose," Uzuki said, "I'll tell them all about you, okay?"

"Okay," Chitose said "Good night, Mama Uzuki."

"Good night." Uzuki then shut her bedroom door, leaving Chitose to ponder his next decision.

"I'll try Mama Mutsuki."

* * *

"I don't know, Chitose. My father's very apprehensive about strangers." Chitose was in Mama Mutsuki's room, watching her comb her long hair in front of her mirror. "Especially those his daughter brings with her."

"I just thought I'd ask, Mama Mutsuki, since you were the first person to become my Mama."

"Yeah." A brief pause then emerged between the two. "By the way…what did Mina say about you staying over at their place."

"Hazuki wants to spend some quality time with Mina…girl time, that is. She did promise, though, that she'd spend the day with the both of us next time around."

"Well, at least she thought about you." She then noticed the glum look on her "son." "What's wrong, Chitose?"

"I was just thinking that if I can't convince Mama Satsuki to bring me with her, then I'd like to spend the next few days with Fumitsuki."

"With Miss Nanakarobi?"

"Yeah," Chitose said, "Either that, or hang out with B and C, and those guys really drive me nuts."

"I think they drive everyone in the school nuts." They both laugh then sigh.

"Well…good night, Mama Mutsuki."

"Good night, Chitose." Mutsuki then shuts the door as Chitose walks over to Mama Satsuki's room. From outside, he could hear moaning from his physical education teacher's room.

"Mama Satsuki?"

* * *

From inside the room, Satsuki emerged from underneath her blankets, her bare shoulders indicating that she wasn't wearing much clothing.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Uh…uh…," Satsuki was really worried. "Hang on just a second."

From outside, Chitose was waiting semi-patiently for his second Mama. (This was based on the order of entry in Chitose's house from the second episode.)

_What in the world could she be doing?_, Chitose thought as Satsuki finally opened her door, wearing a bathrobe.

"Are you all right, Mama Satsuki?" Chitose noticed that she was sweating. "You look like you just ran the Boston Marathon."

"Sorry, Chitose," Satsuki apologized, somewhat embarrassed about her choice of clothing (or lack of). "So, what did you want to talk to me about?'

"I was wondering," Chitose said, "Could I come with you and meet your family? It's all right if you say no. It's just that I've talked to the other moms, as well my sisters, and they all politely turned me down."

Satsuki was thinking about this. Deep down inside, she had a crush on Chitose, but would never allow herself to admit it. Then again, he did save her life during that avalanche.

"You…already talked to the other moms and your sisters?"

"Yeah."

Sighing, Satsuki finally decided on her choice. "Okay, Chitose, you can come with me."

"R-really?"

"Yeah," Satsuki said. "I mean, you _did_ save my life once." At that moment, Chitose gave Satsuki a hug. This made her blush.

"And I'd do it again in a heartbeat." After a few more seconds, they separated. "Well, I'm going to bed now. Good night, Mama Satsuki." Satsuki is still somewhat spaced out from the hug she got from Chitose. "Mama Satsuki?"

"Oh!" That snapped her out if. "Yes. Well good night, Chitose." As Chitose was heading back to his "room," Satsuki shut the door to hers, thinking about what just happened.

_I know I shouldn't be thinking these things, but..._

* * *

Notes: So, that's chapter one of "Chitose's Vacation." By the way, the fic is rated "T" for now, but expect it to go up in future chapters.

This is my first fic that I've posted here, so please be gentle on me.

In conclusion, I believe there should be more "Happy Lesson" fanfics on this website.


	2. On the Road Again

Disclaimer: I do not own "Happy Lesson," its characters or concepts.

What is Happy Lesson?: For those who don't know, "Happy Lesson" is not your typical harem anime. In fact, I don't consider the main females to be a harem at all. Let me break it down for you. Chitose Hitotose is a orphaned high school student who lives in a HUGE house. One day, five of his teachers (Mutsuki Ichimonji—Homeroom/Japanese Classics, Satsuki Gokajou—Physical Education, Uzuki Shitennou—Fine Arts, Yayoi Sanzenin—School Nurse, Kisaragi Ninomai—Chemistry) decide to move in with him and become his mother. Weird, huh? Well, it gets weirder. He has two adopted sisters (Hazuki Yazakura—the older, a pop star, and Minazuki Rokumatsuri—the younger, who also has a little bit of a crush on him; blame the OVA), the Class President (Fumitsuki Nanakorobi) whom he has a love-hate relationship with, as well as a mad scientist (Kanna Togakushi) with world domination plans who falls in love with him. You see why I love this show? Speaking of the show, on with it.

* * *

_**(Thursday, July 11, 2002)**_

The next morning, everyone (including Shigeru) was outside the mansion preparing for their extended outings.

"Now, I gave Mr. Yamamoto my cell phone number, so he'll call me as soon as the job is done," Mutsuki explained. "As soon as that happens, I'll call all of you, and we'll head on back home."

"That sounds reasonable," Yayoi said.

"Now does everyone have their cell phones?" Mutsuki asked.

"Check," all the other moms said.

"Plus I gave you the number of my dad's place where I'll be staying at," said Satsuki. Just then, one of the mom's cell phones rang.

"It's mine," said Mutsuki as she answered it.

"Well, it can't be me," stated Shigeru, "as I'm right here talking to you guys."

"Then, who is it exactly?" Uzuki wondered.

"Chitose, it's for you," Mutsuki said as she handed her phone to Chitose. "It's Hazuki."

"Hazuki?" He then answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, Chi," Hazuki said from over the phone. "How's it going?"

"Well, fine, Hazuki," Chitose said, somewhat startled. "In fact, we were just leaving."

"Okay. Listen, Chi, I'm really sorry about not including you in our plans, but I'm going to make it up to you. Turn around." Chitose does so and notices a limousine pulling up to the mansion. At that moment, the moonroof opens up, and Hazuki pops out, holding the limo phone. "Hey, Chi."

"Hey," Chitose said, hanging up the cell phone and handing it back to Mama Mutsuki.

"I thought I'd give you all a ride," Hazuki said, then popping back into the limo and exiting the back door. At that moment, Shigeru runs up to Chitose.

"You know Hazuki Yazakura?" Shigeru asked.

"Know her? She's my sister." As soon as Chitose turned around, he noticed a cloud of dust. He then saw Shigeru right next to the limo asking Hazuki stupid questions.

"Can I have your autograph? Can I have backstage passes to your next concert? Are you single?" At that moment, he was hit right in the back of the head with Kisaragi's hammer.

"Annoying Fan Neutralizer, Version 3.4," Kisaragi said in her usual emotionless state.

"It's a fucking hammer!" Everyone else said simultaneously.

(Sorry, I couldn't resist)

"Now that that's out of the way, shouldn't we all get going?" Chitose asked semi-patiently.

"Oh, yeah. That's right," Hazuki said. "Well, everyone in the limo."

"I'm not going," Kisaragi stated.

"Say what?!" The other moms asked, surprised.

"I've got my own mode of transportation," Kisaragi said.

"What mode of transporta…oh!" Chitose asked, then realized what she was talking about.

"How are you going to get to Kanna's Island, Kisaragi?" Yayoi asked. Although no one else noticed, Chitose whispered something in Hazuki's ear.

"Oh, that's right. You told me about that one time," Hazuki said.

"I'm going to be using the boat," Kisaragi said.

"What boat?" Satsuki asked.

"Don't you remember? It was that time Kisaragi won that 'contest'," Chitose said, with emphasis on contest. Sometimes he had to wonder how his 'moms' became teachers in the first place.

"Are you sure about this, Kisaragi?" Mutsuki asked.

"Yeah, we get to ride in a limo!" Uzuki stated, excited about riding in a limo.

"Regrettably, yes," Kisaragi said somewhat sadly.

"We all understand, Mama Kisaragi," Hazuki said, standing between Uzuki and Yayoi. "You just take care of yourself, you hear?"

"I will," Kisaragi said, wiping away a tear. "Farewell, my family." And at that point, a robotic arm from out of nowhere grabbed her and took her off into the distance. Everyone else just sweatdropped.

_I don't think I'm ever going to get used to that_, Chitose thought. He then noticed Shigeru still unconscious from the hammering he got from Kisaragi.

"Could somebody please wake him up?"

"Don't worry, Chitose," Satsuki said, walking towards the unconscious pest control specialist. "I've got it under control." At that moment, Chitose took out a pair of earplugs and put them in his ears.

_This is really going to hurt_, he thought.

* * *

The Tokyo skyline. Everything is at peace, until…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!"

* * *

In the limo, Chitose was sitting between Hazuki and Minazuki in the backseat, while the mamas were sitting on the benches on the side of the limo.

"I'm really sorry about this, Chitose," Minazuki said sadly.

"It's okay, Mina," Chitose said, ruffling his younger sister's hair. "Besides, we're all going to hang out together later on anyways." He was referring to the deal Hazuki made with him the night earlier.

"So, where do I need to take you guys?" Hazuki asked.

"Well, Uzuki and I need to go to the Tokyo train station," Yayoi said. "Everyone else needs to go to Haneda for their flights."

"I hope you can get us there in time," Satsuki said. "Chitose and mine's flight leaves in four hours."

"Don't worry, guys," Hazuki said coolly. "I can get you guys there quickly, no problem.

* * *

Five minutes later, they were in a traffic jam.

"No problem, huh?" Chitose said, sarcastically.

* * *

After nearly an hour or so in traffic, the limo pulled up to the airport loading zone. Mutsuki, Satsuki, and Chitose quickly got out of the limo and took out their luggage.

"We'll see you guys later!" Mutuski said, waving along with Satsuki and Chitose goodbye to the other moms.

"Bye!" Everyone else in the limo was waving at them back. As soon as they got into the airport terminal, the limo left.

* * *

At the check-in desk, the clerk was looking over the ticket for Mutsuki Ichimonji, who as traveling nonstop to Sapporo at New Chitose Airport. Suddenly, the clerk, named Shiro, found something shocking.

"Hello," Shiro said, checking his computer display again.

"What? Has my flight been cancelled?" Mutsuki asked worriedly.

"On the contrary, Miss Ichimonji," Shiro said. "You've just been bumped to first class."

"First class?" Mutsuki as confused.

"Yes, ma'am," Shiro confirmed it by hand her a new, first-class, airplane ticket.

"Wow! Talk about a lucky break. Thank you."

"Uh, ma'am," Shiro said, just as Mutsuki was about to leave, "You can only carry one bag on the plane."

"Oh, sorry about that," Mutuski said, blushing in embarrassment as she handed the other bag she was carrying to the clerk. Satsuki then gave Mutsuki a hug.

"See you later, Mutsuki," Satsuki said.

"Promise you'll call when you arrive, okay?"

"You worry too much, Ichimonji," Satsuki said, releasing the hug. "Just get to your plane."

"In just a minute," Mutuski then turned her attention to Chitose. "Goodbye, Chitose." She extended her arms for a hug, but was surprised by a kiss on the cheek from her "son."

"Don't tell anyone I did that," Chitose said. As he turned around, Mutsuki suddenly grabbed him, and hugged him like crazy, kissing him all over.

"Oh, Chitose, I'm going to miss you so much," Mutsuki said, almost crying. After about a minute, Satsuki forcibly separated the two.

"All right, come on!" Satsuki said, forcing Mutsuki away from the check-in line. "You're going to miss your plane." As soon as Mutsuki was out of eyesight, she sighed in relief. "Sheesh!" At that moment, Shiro just stared at the two in shock.

"I'm not going to ask how you all are related."

* * *

About a half-hour or so later, Chitose and Satsuki were running towards the security checkpoint.

"How come our tickets ended up having to cost an arm and a leg?" Satsuki asked.

"Probably because you bought the tickets the day of the flight," Chitose said. All that extra running in gym class was paying off. "Then again, all this was unexpected, so I don't blame you for that." At that moment, they reached the security checkpoint, where the line was…kind of long.

"This is definitely going to take a while," Chitose said to himself. As soon as he said that, Satsuki checked the flight board, which revealed that their flight to Tokushima had been delayed.

"Hey, Chitose," Satsuki said. "Looks like our flight's been delayed."

"I never thought I'd actually say this, but I'm glad our flight's been delayed."

After getting through security, which took nearly an hour due to some of the stuff Satsuki packed in her carry-on, Satsuki and Chitose eventually headed towards their gate and got on the plane.

* * *

On the plane, Satsuki and Chitose stored their carry-on luggage overhead and took their seats.

"Whew!" Chitose said sighing. "I never thought we'd actually make it."

"Oh, come on, Chitose," Satsuki said with confidence. "Did you really think we'd be late for our flight?"

"I guess I was wrong to doubt you," Chitose said. "Thanks for inviting me, Mama Satsuki."

Satsuki was slightly embarrassed with Chitose calling her Mama on the plane. "Listen, Chitose," she started. "I know this may sound a little weird, but while we're on this trip, could you not call me Mama? In fact, why don't you just call me Satsuki?"

"Sure, Ma…Satsuki," Chitose corrected himself. "You know what? It does sound a little weird." At that moment, a flight attendant walked to their seats.

"Excuse me," she started, "but we're getting ready to take off. Could you please fasten your seat belts?"

"And not a moment too soon," Chitose said as he but his seat belt on. Satsuki put her belt on as well. She was gripping the armrests somewhat and she was eyeing her "son" uneasily.

"Say, Chitose," Satsuki said, "as soon as we get airborne, I want to show you something."

"Huh?" Chitose was half-asleep. "Did you say something, Satsuki?"

"I said, when we get airborne, I want to show you something," she repeated.

"Oh, okay," Chitose said. "Wake me up when we get in the air." He then shut his eyes and thought to himself. _I hope everyone else is all right._

* * *

On a train bound for Nagano, site of the 1998 Winter Olympic Games, Yayoi Sanzenin was sleeping soundly on her way towards her spiritual journey.

* * *

Meanwhile, on another train, this one bound for Kyoto, Uzuki was dressed as Shirley Temple from the 1934 film "Bright Eyes" singing her signature song. While she was singing, some of the passengers were conversing.

"You think she's Shirley Temple's illegitimate daughter?" a male passenger asked his wife.

"Don't say such nasty things!" She replied.

* * *

In a large body unknown body of water, Kisaragi was using the S.S. Ninomai to travel to Kanna's secret island.

_She had better not be planning any evil schemes,_ Kisaragi thought as she steered the boat on.

* * *

Mutsuki Ichimonji was waiting in the lobby outside her gate, which would take her to her family's house in Sapporo. She was checking over her first-class ticket, something that absolutely surprised her.

_I just hope everyone makes it safely to their destinations,_ Mutsuki thought as she looked outside the window, seeing Chitose and Satsuki's plane take off.

* * *

Notes: Please note that the text before the first "line" and the text after the last "line" are the chapter notes, while everything in between is the chapter, just for future consideration.

For those of you wondering when this story takes place, it takes place after the original TV series ends (mainly due to the Advanced and Final series not being released in English…yet).

Before I leave you, I'm going to give you a sneak peek at future chapters with Satsuki's family. Please note that I do not know what her family is really like, so I'm using a little bit of creative licensing. What follows are their names and a brief description of the family members, which I will be developing as the story evolves. With the obvious exception, all of Satsuki's family members are men.

Hiroto Gokajou—Satsuki's father. Calls Satsuki "Saki." Is a former professional wrestler and personal trainer. He is the person responsible for Satsuki going into athletics.

Sachiko Gokajou—Satsuki's mother, deceased. Like she told Chitose, she was very cheerful and energetic, so it was shocking to everyone when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. She passed away shortly after Satsuki graduated from high school.

Hirokazu "Kazu" Gokajou—the eldest of the six children, four years older than Satsuki. A divorced father of a young girl, he is a huge fan of the wrestling/boxing hybrid "sport" Ultimate Boxing.

Daichi "Dai" Gokajou—second child, two years older than Satsuki. He travels around the world and considers himself to be a professional gambler.

Kenichi "Keni" Gokajou—twin brother of Satsuki, younger of the two. He started smoking after their mom died.

Makoto "Mako" Gokajou—second youngest child, three years younger than Satsuki. He has followed in his father's footsteps and is a professional wrestler.

Tomoki "Tommy" Gokajou—youngest child, a year older than Chitose. Sort of the troublemaker of the bunch. He has already lost his virginity, if that'll tell you something.

Until next time, PLEASE review!


	3. Are We There Yet?

Disclaimer: I do not own "Happy Lesson," its characters or concepts.

Before we get into this story, I'd like to point a few things out. Since we have no idea how old all the characters are, I've decided to make up my own ages for them. All the moms are in their late 20's, Chitose and Fumitsuki are 17, Mina is 14, Hazuki is 20, Kanna is about the same age as Kisaragi, Satsuki's dad is in his late 50's, her older brothers Kazu and Dai are in their early 30's, her younger brother Mako is in his mid-20s, while her youngest brother Tommy is 18.

Now that we've got that out of the way, let's get it on!

* * *

In the cafeteria of the High School of the Koyomi Campus, the Class President Fumitsuki Nanakarobi was quietly eating lunch by herself. 

_I find it odd that Chitose was absent today_, Fumtisuki thought to herself, _but_ _even more odd was that Miss Ichimonji, Miss Shitennou, Miss Gokajou, Miss Sanzenin, and Miss Ninomai were all absent today due to "family problems."_

"I have to admit," she said to herself, "it does sound suspicious."

"Are you still thinking about that Hitotose boy again?" the bespectacled student known simply as 'B' asked the class president.

"Face it, girlfriend," his partner-in-crime, known only as 'C,' "you don't have a chance in the world."

And at that moment, with an amazing feat of strength, Fumitsuki grabbed each of the two students with an arm, and threw them out the window, the window, the second story window. I don't know how she threw them out the window. Did I mention that the window was closed?

"Miss Nanakarobi," the principal, to Fumitsuki's displeasure, was walking into the cafeteria at this time, "I would like to see you in my office…NOW!"

Sighing to herself, Fumitsuki thought, _Could this day get any worse?_

(I couldn't resist putting the little ditty after she threw B and C out the window.)

* * *

Unfortunately, it got worse for the Class President. Not only was she temporarily relieved of her presidential duties, but she was suspended from school for two whole weeks, and her parents would have to replace the cafeteria window. She was very lucky that she didn't have to pay for B and C's medial bills. But unfortunately, still, B and C, wearing bandages and limping heavily, were following her. 

"You think we would have learned our lesson my now," C said.

"But we didn't," B replied.

As Fumitsuki continued walking, a limousine pulled over and the back door rolled down its window, revealing a familiar pop star as its passenger.

"Hey, aren't you the president of Chitose's class?" Fumitsuki turned towards the limo to indeed find Hazuki Yazakura in the backseat.

"How do you know about that…oh, my God! You're Hazuki Yazakura!"

"The one and only," Hazuki said. "Chitose told me all about you. Shouldn't you be in school at this time?"

"I, uh…got suspended for throwing two of my fellow students out of a second floor window," Fumitsuki said, somewhat embarrassed. "I know that you are the class president, but a class president must set an example for his or her students," she then said with a perfect imitation of the school's principal. She then dropped the imitation, "Because of that, I've been stripped of my presidential duties temporarily."

"Oh," Hazuki said, somewhat baffled by Fumitsuki's explanation, but she quickly shook it off. "Hey, Fumitsuki?"

"Yeah?" Fumitsuki is still somewhat startled by having a famous pop star right in front of her.

"Do you want me to give you a ride home?" Fumitsuki gasped at what Hazuki just aid, blushing a little.

_Hazuki Yazakura, the famous pop star, is offering me ride home! Oh, what should I do? What should I do?_, Fumitsuki thought to herself. At that moment, both Students B and C limp noticeably towards the limo.

"Could you please give us a ride, Miss Hazuki?" B asked.

"You two need a ride home as well?"

"Not to our homes," C said as he spat out a tooth. "To the hospital."

_Chitose has some weird classmates_, Hazuki thought.

* * *

Meanwhile, back on the flight to Tokushima, Satsuki was showing Chitose a photograph of her family taken back when she was in high school. 

"That's my mom right there," Satsuki said, pointing to a somewhat portly woman of middle age.

"Wow, she does look happy and energetic," Chitose said. "She probably looks more like Uzuki's mom."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Satsuki had that evil look in her eyes.

"Come on, Satsuki. It was a joke."

"I knew that." She then pointed to a well-built man, just slightly older than his wife. "This is my father. You ever hear of Giant Gokajou?"

"No," Chitose confessed.

"That's him. He was known as one of the most dangerous bad guys in all of New Japan Pro Wrestling. But despite his bad guy appearance in the ring and in real life, he was a really pussycat deep down."

"I see," Chitose said. "Is he going to be there?"

"Yeah, you'll meet him."

"But I'm really more interested in meeting your mother." At that moment, Satsuki looked out the window with tears in her eyes. "Did I say something wrong?"

"You won't be able to meet her, Chitose," Satsuki said, still looking out the window. "Shortly after this picture was taken, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's."

"Oh," Chitose realized what had happened to Satsuki's mother, whom she loved dearly.

"She passed away shortly after I graduated from high school," at that moment, Satsuki wiped the tears from her eyes then turned around and faced her "son."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Chitose said, allowing Satsuki to cry on his shoulder. He then looked at the photograph, which featured Satsuki wearing her high school uniform surrounded by her five brothers.

* * *

As the flight continued, pretty much everyone on the plane had fallen asleep. Chitose was napping in his seat, and as he was moving to a more comfortable position, he noticed something heavy laying on him. He opened his eyes to find Satsuki still lying on his shoulder, but what he really noticed was that her hand was right over Chitose's crotch. He tried to move her hand off it, but she unconsciously moved it into his pants! Chitose had a shocked look at his face when one of the flight attendants walked by. 

"Excuse me," she whispered, holding a small flashlight. "But if you two want to do that, please do in the facilities in the back."

"Actually, I wasn't planning on that," Chitose whispered, now sweating bullets.

"Are you all right, sir?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Chitose said, taking his "mom's" hand out of his pants and moving her against the window. "I just need to freshen up a little."

"Okay, but be quiet. Some of the passengers are sleeping." And at that moment, she let Chitose out of his seat, and he scampered towards the back, where all of the facilities were occupied. Just then, one of then changed to "Vacant," and a young boy exited the washroom. Chitose quickly scattered it, switched it to "Occupied," and splashed some water on his face. He then looked in the mirror and stared at himself.

"Why did Mama Satsuki put her hand on my crotch?" he asked himself. He then shook off the water and stared at the mirror again. "Just forget about it, Hitotose. Mama Satsuki invited you to meet her family. I'm sure you'll get to know them and get to like them." At that moment, someone knocked on the door. "Just a minute." Then, the guy knocked on the door again. "Can't you wait thirty seconds?!"

Thirty seconds later, Chitose unlocked and opened the bathroom door, revealing a big guy along with his bleach blonde girlfriend.

"Sorry," Chitose apologized and headed back to his seat. The big guy then took his girlfriend into the bathroom. I'll leave you people to figure out what they're up to. Chitose simply walked back to his seat, where he found Satsuki awake, and sweating.

"All you all right, Satsuki?"

"I'm fine, Chitose. Don't worry about me." Still worried, Chitose put his hand on her forehead.

"Well, you're not running a fever, that's for sure."

"I said I'm okay, Chitose."

"I know," Chitose said. "I just get a little worried about ever since that incident during our skiing trip."

"I'm sorry."

"I've told you a thousand times before," Chitose started, "You don't have to apologize for anything that happened on our ski trip."

"Not that, Chitose," Satsuki said, sighing before continuing. "I want to apologize for losing it earlier."

"It's okay, Satsuki," Chitose said, allowing her to rest on his shoulder again. "You have a right to cry. You obviously miss her very much." After a minute of silence, Chitose spoke up, "I really look forward to meeting your family."

At that moment, Satsuki looked up with still some tears in her eyes, but quickly wiped them away and sniffled, "Thank you, Chitose."

"But what are we going to tell them?" Chitose asked. "I mean, about us?"

"Well," Satsuki started, "If any of them ask, we're boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" Chitose was a little hesitant. "I mean, you're probably ten years or more older than me." At that moment, he was put in a headlock by a mad Satsuki.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!"

"I said…you look very lovely today," Chitose said, gagging as he spoke. At that moment, Satsuki let go of the hold, and Chitose tried to catch his breath. "You promised me you wouldn't do that while we were on vacation."

"Sorry, Chitose," Satsuki said, somewhat embarrassed. "I guess I forgot."

"Yeah," he replied, then remembered he still had the photograph in his pocket, which he took out. "Oh, that reminds me, you didn't introduce me to your brothers."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that," Satsuki said. "I guess I'm still somewhat emotional about my mom." She then pointed out her brothers, "That's Hirokazu right there, Kazu for short. Last time I heard from him, he was married with a baby girl. Over there is Daichi, Dai for short. Ever since he was a kid, he was interested in casinos. As soon as he turned 21, he left Japan and flew to Las Vegas. And you'll never guess how he did."

"He lost?" Chitose asked.

"No, he won…seventy-five thousand dollars." _Seventy-five thousand dollars?!, _Chitose thought to himself _That's almost eight million yen!_ She then pointed to a teenage boy also wearing a school uniform, looking somewhat like Satsuki. "That's my twin brother, Kenichi."

"You two almost look identical," Chitose pointed out. "You know, I've never imagined you in a school uniform." Satsuki then gave him a dirty look. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Good." She continued pointing out her brothers, "That's Makoto, Mako for short. He's followed in Papa-san's footsteps and became a pro wrestler."

"Papa-san? Pro wrestler? If anything, you should be a pro wrestler."

"That's what I always called my father," Satsuki replied, "and I did consider it for a while." She then pointed out her youngest brother, who looked like he was 8 years old in the photo. "And last, but not least, we have Tomoki, or Tommy for short. He should be about your age now, give or take a year. He was always a naughty little boy. He did some things that I probably shouldn't even talk about."

"Oh, I see," Chitose said. At that moment, the 'FASTEN SEAT BELTS' sign lit up.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the lead flight attendant started explaining, "we are approaching our destination, please fasten your seat belts and place your seats and tray tables in a locked an upright position."

"Well, we're almost there," Chitose said.

"Yeah," Satsuki replied, as she unconsciously put her hand on Chitose's.

* * *

On a secret island located in practically the middle of nowhere, our favorite mad scientist, Kanna Togakushi, was looking over the beautiful forests from her balcony, contemplating her next evil plan. 

"Let's see, should I develop some crappy software?" Kanna asked herself. "Should I come up with another plan to take over the world? Or should I come up with a plan to get my beautiful Chitose?" At that moment, she blushed then let off some steam, like she always does when she thinks about Chitose. "Kanna, you bad girl! You shouldn't be thinking such nasty thoughs!" At that moment, an alarm went off, and Kanna rushed into her "command room," where the looked on the screen to find Kisaragi on a hang glider.

"Oh, my god! It's Kisaragi!" At that moment, Kisaragi pushed a button, which separated the safety bar from the glider. She then dove down to Kanna's "house," where she pulled a cord, revealing a parachute that said "Hang Gliding-Parachute, Version 2.1." _What is she doing here?_, Kanna thought to herself. At that moment, the doorbell rang. "Oh, my God! I'm not wearing much clothes." A minute or so later, Kanna answered the door, wearing her normal (if you can call it that) outfit, and low-and-behold, Kisaragi was at the "door," wearing her black bikini, white lab jacket, and captain's hat.

"Hello again, Kanna," Kisaragi said in their secret language.

"Kisaragi, what are you doing here?" Kanna replied in the secret language.

"Well, Kanna," Kisargi now switched to Japanese or English, depending on your point of view, "Our house is being fumigated, so I decided to pay you a visit. That, and make sure you don't have any evil plans of world domination or kidnapping Chitose."

"Oh, no!"

"Plus," Kisaragi then hugged Kanna from behind, "we get to spend some real quality time together."

"Please kill me," Kanna said with some tears in her eyes.

* * *

At the Nagano Train Station, Yayoi (wearing casual clothes) had just disembarked from her train with luggage in hand. She was going outside to hail a taxi when a mysterious wind started blowing around her. 

"That's not exactly appropriate clothing for a spiritual journey, Miss Sanzenin." Yayoi turned around to find a man dressed in a khali-colored robe and hood concealing a stylized kimono.

"My, um…miko dress is in the luggage," Yayoi said nervously.

"Nothing to worry about, Miss Sanzenin," the mysterious figure said, removing his hood to reveal a young man no more than 25 years of age. "You can change when we arrive at my house."

"Of course."

"By the way, I didn't properly introduce myself. Susumu Arisaka at your service."

"Arisaka…why does that sound so familiar?" Yayoi asked herself.

"Well, never mind about that. My car should be arriving right about…now." And at that moment, a Lexus LS 430 pulled to the loading zone, driven by a valet parker. He then tossed the keys to Susumu. "Shall we?"

"Of course," Yayoi said.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the New Chitose Airport (hmm?), Mutsuki had just picked up her luggage from the baggage claim. She was struggling to get her baggage to the exit when she saw a middle-aged man holding a sign that said "ICHIMONJI." 

"Daddy?" Mutsuki adjusted her glasses to take another look at the man. "Daddy!" She ran as fast as she should to hug the man she identified as her father.

"Mu-chan!" Her father, Hikaru Ichimonji, immediately hugged her daughter as soon as she reached him. "How's my special little girl?"

"Very well, daddy," Mutsuki said, then looked at her dad's eyes. "Where are your glasses?"

"I had laser surgery done since the last time you saw me," he replied. "Are the contacts still bothering you?"

"Not anymore. I've gotten used to it," Mutsuki said. "Have you been waiting for me all this time?"

"Your mother had to remind me since I slept in this morning," Hikaru said. "Here, let me help you with that." Hikaru then helped her daughter with some of her luggage as they both left the airport.

* * *

Uzuki was checking into her hotel room in Kyoto. As soon as she unlocked the door, someone snuck in from behind her and put a chloroform-soaked rag on her mouth nose. She immediately fell unconscious and was dragged out by two men dressed in black robes and hoods.

* * *

Notes: Let's get one thing straight here, although this story will basically be about Chitose visiting Satsuki's family, I will be going back and forth between the other moms, as well as Fumitsuki and the two sisters (Hazuki and Mina). 

I guess I should explain where I got the name Susumu Arisaka for the priest that accompanies Yayoi on her spiritual journey. I borrowed it from the protagonist of the Happy Lesson manga. This is why Yayoi said that name sounded familiar.

Also, if I ever get a chance to finish this wonderful story, I am immediately planning a sequel. It is called "A Happy Lesson Christmas," which features Chitose, Hazuki, Mina, and the Moms traveling to Mutsuki's family ranch in Hokkaido, where they encounter Satsuki's family, Uzuki's Cosplay Group, old flames, our favorite mad scientist, and somewhere along the line, Fumitsuki drops in!

I also have on the shelf a mini-series called "Psychiatry Visits," where Chitose visits a psychiatrist and tells him (it's a man, he made absolutely sure of it) about his unsteady home life and school life.

Plus, I may be doing a story in which Chitose discovers his REAL mom! I know it sounds weird, but you'll have to wait and see what I'm talking about.

Again, PLEASE REVIEW!!!


	4. We're Finally Here

Disclaimer: I do not own "Happy Lesson," its characters or concepts.

Okay, let's rewind. (REW) Okay, that's far enough. Now let's recap. Termites are infesting the Hitotose abode, meaning the teacher-moms will have to stay somewhere else for the time being. Soon, they all decide what they're going to do (Mutsuki decides to visit her parents in Hokkaido, Satsuki decides to visit her family in Shikoku, Yayoi decides to go on a spiritual journey in the Akaishi mountains with a _very_ handsome priest, Uzuki decides to visit her fellow Cosplay Group members in Kyoto, and Kisaragi decides to pay Kanna a visit, mainly to make sure she doesn't do any evil plans), but they inadvertently forget about Chitose. He thinks he could use this time to stay with his sisters, but Hazuki has already planned to use her much-needed time off to spend some "girl time" with Minazuki. Chitose then asked the moms if he could go with any of them. Finally, Satsuki agreed to let Chitose meet her father and brothers (her mom passed away some time before). I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, how did Chitose get out of class? Well, Mutsuki and the other teachers called in, telling the principal that they had family crises had needed time off, and Chitose called in saying that his sister had won a 7-Day Cruise for Three and she wanted to bring him with her. As for Fumitsuki? Well, she made the mistake of knocking Students B and C out the cafeteria window in front of the principal, so she's been suspended and temporarily stripped of her presidential duties. Whew! That was a mouthful. Well, back to the story.

* * *

Hazuki's limo had just pulled up to Fumitsuki's house. Inside, the three girls were talking. 

"It was nice to see you again, Fumitsuki," Minazuki said.

"You too, Minazuki."

"Hey, Fumitsuki," Hazuki said as she handed the Class President a piece of paper, "If you ever need someone to talk to, or you want to have some 'Girl Time,' here's my cell phone number." Fumitsuki then got out of the limo. "See you later, girlfriend." And with that the limo took off. Fumitsuki was still somewhat dreamy about the pop star giving her cell phone number to her. What snapped her out of it was a note taped to the front door of her house.

"Huh?" Fumitsuki wondered. "What's this?" She door the note off the door and read it.

_Fumitsuki,_

_We won a free trip for two to Atlantic City, New Jersey in the United States. Since your father has vacation days coming, we decided to take advantage of it. Now, it's not that we don't trust you or think that you're not mature enough, but you'll have to stay somewhere else while we're out. If you're looking for your stuff, it's in the backyard all packed and ready to go. If you have any problems, don't bother us. We'll call you when you get back._

_Love, Mom and Dad._

_WHAT?!_, Fumitsuki thought angrily to herself. _THEY JUST LEFT ON A TRIP WITHOUT ME AND LOCKED ME OUT OF THE HOUSE?!_ She then angrily went to the backyard to get her stuff. She returned to the front a few minutes later, carrying two bags over her shoulder.

"Just perfect," she says to herself. "First those idiots bug me, then I get suspended from school, and now my parents. Where in the hell am I going to stay?" Light bulb. "I know. I'll ask Hazuki if I can stay at her place." She was about to take out her cell phone, but then realized that she didn't have it with her. "Just great. Now what am I going to do?" At that moment, a Honda Legend (Acura RL for you Americans) 4-door sedan pulled up to Fumitsuki's house.

"Excuse me," Fumitsuki then turned to the car, whose windows had rolled down to reveal a middle-aged balding man with a goatee. "Can I help you?"

"I don't know," Fumitsuki said somewhat worriedly. "My parents went on a vacation without me and locked me out of the house. I was going to ask a friend of mine if I could stay with her, but I don't have my cell phone."

"I think I can help," the man replied. "Do you have your friend's phone number?"

"Well, sure I do, Mister…"

"Doctor. Doctor Hideki Yamamoto," he said as he introduced himself. Fumitsuki then handed him the phone number. "By the way, you didn't tell me your name."

"It's Fumitsuki," she said. "Fumitsuki Nanakarobi."

"Fumitsuki…it seems like a nice name." He then dialed the number on his cell phone. It rang a few times before the owner answered.

"Hello?" For some reason, the voice sounded familiar.

"Is this…Hazuki Yazakura?"

"The one and only," the pop star replied on the other end. "Who's this?"

"This is Dr. Hideki Yamamoto. I'm here with your friend, Miss Fumitsuki Nanakarobi, whose parents are out of town and they locked her out of the house. She wants to know if it's okay if she can stay at your place."

_He's actually asking Hazuki if I can stay at her place. A complete stranger. Maybe this day is getting better and better_, Fumitsuki thought to herself.

"Brilliant," Dr. Yamamoto said. "Can I have your address please?" Dr. Yamamoto took out his a scrap piece of paper to write it down. "Uh-huh. Excellent. I'm familiar with that area, so she should be there in about twenty minutes. Thank you very much. I have one more question. Do you have a personal psychiatrist?" At that moment, Hazuki hang up. "Hello? Hello?" He then hung up his phone. "She hung up on me."

"So, I can stay at her place?" Fumitsuki asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Dr. Yamamoto replied. He then popped open the car's boot (trunk for you Americans) "Just put your bags in the boot."

"Oh, thank you," Fumitsuki then put her luggage in the boot. When she finished, she saw the passenger's side door open, and she went into the car. "Nice car."

"Thank you," Dr. Yamamoto said. "I'm married, by the way. I was simply asking your friend if she needed a psychiatrist because of her job. I mean, she does tour all over the country for weeks and months at a time."

"Right," Fumitsuki said as she put on her seat belt. "Very nice car."

"Thank you very much," as Dr. Yamamoto was about to pull out, a silver car with a hell of a lotta dents in it drove by at twice the normal speed limit. "Slow down, you crazy bitch!" The offending driver simply flipped him off. "They'll give any idiot a licence these days."

(I'll leave it to you to figure out the "crazy bitch.")

* * *

Meanwhile, in Kyoto, Uzuki Shitennou was standing trial for some weird reason. 

"All rise," the bailiff said as Uzuki and the two attorneys rose as the judge made his entrance into the 'courtroom.' "Court is now is session. The Honorable Milton Bradley presiding." At that moment, the judge sat down at his bench. The 'judge,' by the way, was wearing a white wig.

"Be seated." And so everyone sat down. At that point, the court clerk handed the judge the case information.

"Your honor, this is case number 01041984, Kyoto Prefecture v. Uzuki Shitennou," the clerk said.

"Thank you. Mr. DA, what are the charges against the defendant?"

"Your honor," the DA, a middle-aged man wearing a loud suit, said, "the defendant is clearly guilty of wearing an outrageous costume in public places."

"Hmm," the judge thought to himself. "Miss Defender?"

"Your honor," the public defender, a young woman with a Kansai accent, stated, "I just we should just give her the usual punishment."

"Agreed," the judge said. "Five thousand yen and time served." He then banged his gavel. "That's a wrap!" At that moment, the two lawyers removed their masks, the DA revealing himself to be a bleach-blonde Kyushu woman, twenty years younger than the DA she portrayed. Uzuki's lawyer revealed herself to be a tanned Osakan, with dark brown hair pulled into two French braids.

"Yumiko? Shizuka?" Uzuki was in shock, but was shocked even more when the judge removed his wig, revealing rainbow-colored long hair. He then put on a pair of blue-tinted glasses.

"Welcome to Kyoto, my sister from another mother," the unofficial leader of the Cosplay Group, Takashi Suzuki, usually addressed by his surname, said.

"Suzuki?" Uzuki looked at her 'brother from another mother,' as they were proclaimed in college, due to their love of cosplay.

"Do you really expect a normal welcome to a fellow Cosplayer?"

"Not really, considering who our so-called 'boss' is," Yumiko, the tanned Osakan said. She also put on a pair of eyeglasses. Sneaking up behind her is Shizuka, the bleach-blonde Fukuokan who happens to have lesbian tendencies. "Don't even think about it."

"Aw, man!" Shizuki complained.

"Does she still have those lesbian tendencies?" Uzuki asked.

"Unfortunately," Yumiko replied.

"Ladies…" Suzuki said, getting their attention. "Thank you. Anyone that is not a member of the Cosplay Group please leave now." At that moment, everyone else in the courtroom left. However, one man stayed behind.

"Hey, man," the 'bailiff' said, "when do we get paid?"

"You cheques are in the mail," Suzuki said. "Now BEAT IT!" With that, the 'bailiff' was the last to leave. "Now, then, before we start our meeting, we must recite the oath."

"Oh, come on, Taky," Shizuka complained. "Do we have to?"

"Yes, and what did I say about calling me Taky?" Suzuki hated it when someone called him 'Taky.'

"As much as I hate to admit it, I agree with Shizuka," Yumiko reluctantly said. "This oath thing is stupid."

"Come on, guys," Uzuki said. "It's not _that_ bad."

"There you go," Suzuki said. "Now, raise your right hands." Yumiko and Uzuki raise their right hands, while Shizuka raises her left hand. "Your _right_ hand, Shizuka." Shizuka then switches hands to prepare for the oath. "Now, repeat after me."

"I, state your name…"

"I, state your name…," the girls repeated.

"…do solemnly swear…"

"…do solemnly swear…"

"…that I will not reveal the secrets of the Cosplay Group…"

"…that I will not reveal the secrets of the Cosplay Group…"

"…to a non-member…"

"…to a non-member…"

"…under penalty of expulsion…"

"…under penalty of expulsion…"

"…humiliation…"

"…humiliation…"

"…and downright dirtiness…"

"…and downright dirtiness…"

"…so help me God…"

"…so help me God…"

"…Amen."

"…Amen."

"Now that we've gotten that out of our way, what's our first order of business?"

"Well, I actually want to show you guys something," Uzuki then took out a picture of Chitose and showed it to the Group.

"Who's this, Uzuki?" Yumiko asked. "Your boyfriend?"

"No," Uzuki replied. "This is my son, Chitose."

"Your…son?" Suzuki was a little confused.

"I don't know," Shizuka said. "He looks older than Uzuki."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Uzuki shouted.

"Nothing."

"Remind me to have a private talk with you sometime, Uzuki," Suzuki said. "Now, let's get down to business."

* * *

"You mean you live at grandpa's old ranch now?" Mutsuki was now riding shotgun in her father's Mazda Atenza (Mazda6 for everyone else) sedan. 

"Exactly, Mu-chan," Hikaru said, driving towards said ranch. "It was in bad shape when I found it, so I had it renovated while your mother and I lived in an apartment, similar to the one we lived in when you were born. By the way, you know that nice young man that you dated in high scool?"

"Takahiro Kobayashi? He wasn't exactly a nice man, dad."

"Well, I liked him," Hikaru said. "He's opened his medical practice in Sapporo. Did you know he became an obstetrician/gynecologist?"

"That makes me feel a _lot_ better," Mutsuki said sarcastically.

"I still think you made a mistake breaking up with him, but I know you don't want me lecturing you about him during the entire visit," Hikaru continued. "However, when he heard that you were coming to visit, he invited himself over for dinner."

"WHAT?!" Mutsuki was so shocked that her glasses fell off. Hikaru was going to reach for them, but she got them first. "I got them." She then put them back on. "Why didn't you do anything about it?"

"Well, apparently, ten years haven't changed how he feels about you. He still cares about you a great deal."

"Dad…," Mutsuki moaned.

"Just talk to him, Mu-chan," her father said. "You'll find a few surprises about him."

"Yeah, right." Mutsuki just stared out the window for the rest of the car ride.

* * *

At the Tokushima Airport, Satsuki and Chitose's plane had landed and the two had retrieved their luggage. They were now looking around the airport for Satsuki's family. 

"Are you sure they're here, Satsuki?" Chitose was a little concerned considering they had been looking for them for nearly half an hour, and still no sign of them.

"Don't worry, Chitose," Satsuki said. "I told them about the delay, so they should have been here by now." The moment she said that, she saw four men, one a teenager, the other three adults. Satsuki smiled as the recognized them on sight. "Hey, guys!" The four men noticed her and walked up to her and Chitose. The navy-haired man immediately hugged her sister.

"Hey, sis. How are you?"

"I'm doing fine, Mako? How's papa-san?"

Makoto "Mako" Gokajou, 25 years old, was about half a foot taller than Satsuki, and appeared to be in just as good as shape as his sister. His navy-colored hair was long, tied into a chignon (a type of bun). "He's doing great. He's busy teaching some students at the 'Torture Room,' so he couldn't come."

"Speaking of teaching," Satsuki said, "how are you doing?"

"I'm doing pretty well," Mako replied. "I go back to the ring in Fukuoka this Autumn." At that moment, Satsuki eyed her youngest brother, Tomoki "Tommy" Gokajou. Tommy was 18, with long black hair, let loose instead of tied. If he cut his hair, he could almost be confused for Chitose.

"Hello, Tommy," Satsuki greeted her youngest brother.

"Hey, Satsuki," Tommy replied, somewhat nonchalant. He then noticed Chitose right behind her. "Is that your boyfriend, Satsuki?" This comment caused Chitose and Satsuki to blush a little. But Satsuki quickly regained her composure.

"Uh, yes, he is. This is Chitose Hitotose, my boyfriend. Chitose, these are my brothers—Tommy, Mako, Kenichi, and Kazu." Chitose shook each of the men's hands.

"It's nice to meet you all," Chitose said.

"Nice to meet you too, Chi," Mako said. One of the brothers, whose had the same hair color as Satsuki, kept reaching into his pants pocket.

"Get your hands out of your pockets, Keni," the oldest of the brothers replied.

"But I haven't smoked in nearly three hours, Kazu," Keni said. Sighing, Kazu handed his brother a stick of gun.

"I swear, you have no willpower whatsoever." Hirokazu "Kazu" Gokajou was the oldest of the brothers (and the siblings) at age 32. He had dark blond hair, and like most of his siblings, appeared to be in good shape. He was also wearing glasses.

Kenichi "Keni" Gokajou was Satsuki's younger twin brother, and based on his recent behavior, was a smoker. As mentioned earlier, his hair was the same color at Satsuki's, only it was a flattop hairstyle. He also had a black goatee.

"He's still smoking after all these years?" Satsuki asked.

"Unfortunately, yes," Kazu replied. "I tried to get him to quit. Dai tried to get him to quit. Even dad tried to get him to quit."

"Speaking of Daichi," Satsuki said, "where is he?"

"He's getting the rental van, sis," Mako said. He then checked his watch. "He should have been back by now." At that moment, a maroon-haired man rushed over to the group. "Here he is now."

"Sorry, I'm late, guys," Dai started. "Hey, Satsuki!" Daichi came and hugged his sister, who hugged back. "How are you doing, sis?"

"I'm doing great, Dai." said Satsuki. "How was your trip to Macau?" At that moment, he handed Satsuki some money.

"Does this answer your question?" Satsuki counted the money silently, and had a shocked look on her face.

"Dai, this is over 500,000 yen!" she exclaimed.

"I made most of that playing Pai Gow," he said. Then he noticed Chitose. "This your new boyfriend, Saki?"

"Saki?" Chitose wondered.

"Yes, Dai," Satsuki said gritting her teeth. "This is Chitose. Chitose, this is my brother, Daichi."

Daichi "Dai" Gokajou was the second-born, who recently turned 30. As mentioned before, he had maroon-colored hair, and was wearing a T-shirt that said 'Faço meu dinheiro em Macau,' or 'I make my money in Macau' translated from Portuguese.

"Hello, Daichi," Chitose shook his hand.

"It's Dai, Chi," Dai said, chuckling at his own joke. "Do you gamble, Chi?"

"Well…"

"Chitose is not old enough to gamble, Daichi!" Satsuki said, putting her brother in a headlock.

"Satsuki, let go of Dai," Kazu said, picking up the money Satsuki dropped. "Dai, did you get the car?"

"Yes, indeed, big bro," Dai said, rubbing his neck and handing him the keys. "I should let everyone know that only Kazu and myself can drive the car. Speaking of which, here's your licence back."

"Thanks, Dai. Okay, everyone let's get going. Dad's waiting to meet us." As everyone else was heading for the exit, Satsuki and Chitose lagged a bit behind.

"So, what did you think of them, Chitose?" Satsuki asked.

"I don't know yet," Chitose said. "I have to get to know them more, Saki. Oops!" Satsuki had a vein popping out of her forehead.

"Chitose, I know I promised that I wouldn't harm you, but if you ever call me Saki again, I will break you in half. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, ma'am," Chitose said, somewhat worriedly.

"Don't worry, Chitose," Satsuki said, putting an arm around him. "I won't hurt you if it slips out."

"That makes feel a _whole_ lot better, Satsuki."

"Come on, you guys!" Mako was shouting at the two loafers. "We've got to get going!" And with that, everyone was on their way out of the airport.

* * *

At Kanna's secret island, inside her secret base, Kanna was in her recently remodeled bathroom, taking a shower in her extra-large shower room. Just then, the door to the shower room opened, and Kanna gasped at this. She glanced and saw a shadowy figure moving through the fog. As the figure got closure, the fog dissipated somewhat, revealing it to be none other than Kisaragi. Kanna was blushing profusely as Kisaragi grabbed one of the shampoo bottles. 

"Do you have to shower with me?" Kanna asked Kisaragi.

"Yes," she replied unemotionally as she started her shower.

_This really sucks_, Kanna thought.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Akaishi Mountains, the Lexus arrived at a mountain cottage, where Susumu (who was driving) and Yayoi disembarked, retrieved their luggage and entered the cottage. 

"You'll need to change into your miko uniform before we go on your journey," Susumu said. "While you are changing, I will be meditating in my chambers."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Arisaka," Yayoi said.

"No need to thank me, Miss Sanzenin. You can use the adjacent chambers to rest." The two then bowed to each other as they both went into their respective chambers.

Inside her chambers, Yayoi had placed her luggage on top of her futon and unzipped it. _He's a very handsome man_, Yayoi thought as she began disrobing.

In Susumu's chambers, he was preparing for his meditation. _Man…that Yayoi Sanzenin is HOT!_, he thought to himself_ NO!_, he mentally punished himself. _I cannot be thinking these thoughts! It's WRONG!_ He then put himself in the seiza position and began to meditate.

* * *

Now, back in Shikoku, a white Toyota Estima minivan was driving on the road. In the van, Kazu was driving, with Dai riding in shotgun. In the middle bench was Chitose, Keni, and Satsuki, and in the back bench was Tommy and Mako. 

"Hey, Chi," Mako started, "have you ever seen Ultimate Boxing?"

"Ultimate Boxing?" Chitose a little confused. "I don't think I've ever heard of it."

"Well, Chi," Mako said, "Ultimate Boxing is like a hybrid of boxing and wrestling. While the business started out as a boxing promotion, they eventually decided to mix a bit of pro wrestling into it. Nowadays, it looks more like pro wrestling than boxing. In fact, the primary ways of obtaining a victory in Ultimate Boxing is now a pinfall or a submission."

"That's very interesting," Chitose said. "Have you ever seen it before, Satsuki?"

"Are you kidding me?" Satsuki sounded insulted. "I watch it every week!"

_How come I never saw it?_, Chitose asked himself mentally. As they continued moving on, Chitose asked Kazu a question. "So, Kazu, are you married?"

"I was actually," Kazu replied. "We got divorced just this last year, but we're still good friends. We have joint-custody of our three-year-old daughter. Oh, and in case you're wondering, I, too, enjoy Ultimate Boxing."

"You do?" Chitose asked.

"Absolutely," Kazu said. "Mako and I both have huge tape collections, and if we have a chance, we're going to take a look at them."

"Great," Chitose said. Just then, Tommy tapped him on the shoulder. "Can I help you?"

"Hey, Chi, did you know that Satsuki is ticklish?"

"Tommy!" Satsuki started blushing angrily.

"Actually, I didn't know that," Chitose said.

"I mean it. You touch her in just the right place, and she'll lose it, like that," Tommy continued. "When I was younger, I would sneak into Saki's room and wait until she got out of the shower. And as soon as she went in, I tickled her like crazy. Did I mention that most of the time she was wearing only a towel?"

"Tomoki, you are very lucky that there's a bench separating us, because the moment we get out of the car, I am putting you in the Sharpshooter," Satsuki threatened him. There was silence for about a minute before Tommy tapped Chitose's shoulder again.

"What now?" Chitose was now annoyed.

"Have your virginity yet?" Tommy asked.

"No."

"I have," Tommy said. "Papa-san doesn't even know about it yet."

"That's it!" Satsuki said. "Pull over, Kazu! I'm breaking Tommy's leg!"

"Tommy, knock it off!" Kazu said. "Keni, get your damn hands out of your pocket!"

"But I need to smoke, man!" Keni was getting impatient.

"And, Saki, I would appreciate it if you did not threaten your brother, okay?"

"Okay," Satsuki, Keni, and Tommy said.

"Hey, Chitose," Dai said.

"Yeah?"

"I have a couple of books on gambling. You can borrow them when we get to the house."

"Dai…" Satsuki looked like she was going to kill her brother in the car.

"Relax, sis. I know very well that Chitose can't legally gamble yet. He can think of it as a preparation for when he's ready and able."

"Okay," Satsuki said, somewhat in defeat. Just then, Tommy tapped Chitose's shoulder again.

"What?!" Chitose was getting very angry with Tommy.

"I've got nude pictures of Satsuki if you want to see them later," Tommy whispered to Chitose, which caused him to blush heavily.

_This is going to be a long week_, Chitose thought to himself while blushing.

* * *

Notes: This is my longest chapter yet. In the next chapter, we'll meet Satsuki's "papa-san," and we'll also check on the other moms and female characters. 

Okay, you're wondering where the "light bulb" came all of a sudden. Well, if you watch cartoons, like myself, you'll notice that when a character has an idea, a light bulb appears right next to them.

As for the "Cosplay Group" members, I based Suzuki somewhat on the eccentric Taishi from "Comic Party." I based Yumiko's look on Arumi from "Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi," right down to the Kansai accent. And for Shizuka, I used a mix of Excel from "Excel Saga" and Tina from "Ai Yori Aoshi."

Yes, the "5,000 yen and time served" gag is based on the one from Night Court. I don't own that either.

And, for those of you wondering, Ultimate Boxing is a creation of mine. Please e-mail me if you'd like to discuss this with me.

Until next time, PLEASE REVIEW!!


	5. Family Arrivals

Disclaimer: I do not own "Happy Lesson," its characters or concepts.

In case anyone is wondering, according to my "Happy Lesson-verse," both "Advance" and "The Final" never happened. Besides, I saw the ending of "The Final" online (in Japanese), and I thought it was going WAY too far (in the end, the five teacher-moms decide to become his wives). Let's move on.

* * *

Back at home, Fumitsuki was ringing the intercom doorbell for Hazuki to let her in. Hideki Yamamoto, the man that drove Fumitsuki to Hazuki's place, was busy parking his car in case he needed to go with her. 

"Hello?" Minazuki's voice appeared from the intercom.

"Minazuki?"

"Oh, Fumitsuki! Hello! Hazuki?" There was silence for a minute or two before another voice was heard from the intercom.

"Hey, girlfriend, what's up?"

"Hi, Hazuki," Fumitsuki said still somewhat nervously. "My cell phone was locked inside the house, and that's why I didn't call you. Is it still okay if I can stay with you guys?"

"Absolutely, Mitsuki," Hazuki said over the intercom. "By the way, I'd like to meet the man that brought you over here."

"Okay." She turned around to find Dr. Yamamoto running over to her.

"You know how hard it is to find a parking spot in this part of town?" Hideki asked her. "Not to mention how expensive those damned parking meters are."

"Right," Fumitsuki rolled her eyes while saying that.

"You still there, Mitsuki?" Hazuki said via intercom.

"Huh?"

"I said, are you still there?"

"I'm still here, Hazuki," Fumitsuki said.

"Well, I'm going to let you guys in now," Hazuki said, "so I'll see you in a bit."

"Okay, see you," Fumitsuki let go of the intercom button as she heard the front door click.

"Shall we?" Dr. Yamamoto asked.

"Let's," Fumitsuki picked up her bags and was heading for the door when Hideki walked in front of her and opened the door. "Thank you." They continued walking towards the elevator.

* * *

A few minutes later, they reached the correct condominium and Fumitsuki knocked on the door. After about twenty seconds, Minazuki answered it. 

"Hello, Fumitsuki," Mina greeted her.

"Hi, Minazuki," Fumitsuki replied back. "Is your sister there?" At that moment, Hazuki, wearing a bathrobe, appeared at the door.

"Hey, girlfriend." Fumitsuki was shocked to see Hazuki Yazakura, a pop idol and Chitose's adopted older sister, wearing so little in front of her and her guest.

"Hazuki, we have guests!" Mina whispered embarrassedly. Hazuki looked down at her attire and blushed.

"Oops! Sorry about that," Hazuki apologized. "I was actually getting ready to shower." She then noticed Dr. Yamamoto. "You must be the man that I was talking to earlier."

"Yes, ma'am," Dr. Yamamoto said, shaking her hand. "I'm Dr. Hideki Yamamoto. I'm a psychiatrist."

"I never would have guessed," Hazuki said. "Mina, could you take Fumitsuki to where she'll be sleeping at?"

"Sure thing, Hazuki. Come on, Fumitsuki." Fumitsuki then went into the condo, still carrying her luggage. Hazuki then stared at Hideki.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Can I have your autograph?" he asked somewhat embarrassedly. "It's not for me. It's for my daughter."

Meanwhile, in Minazuki's bedroom, Mina was pulling a spare futon out of her closet.

"I'm sorry we don't really have any more beds for you, Fumitsuki," Minazuki said as she rolled out the futon.

"It's okay, Minazuki," Fumitsuki said. "I don't mind sleeping on a futon. After what happened to me today, I wouldn't have minded sleeping on the street."

"What exactly happened to you today, Fumitsuki?" Mina asked with curiosity.

"Well…"

"Miss Nanakarobi, I'm about ready to leave now," Dr. Yamamoto said from the front door.

"Okay, Dr. Yamamoto," Fumitsuki said. "Thanks again for giving me a ride." She then turned back to Minazuki. "Now, where was I? Oh, yes. It started at school this morning, when…"

"Mina! Mitsuki!" Hazuki called from the living room. "I'm going to be taking my shower now. When I get done, we'll talk about what we're going to have for dinner, okay?"

"Okay," Mina replied. "So, you were at school this morning…"

"You know what, Mina?"

"Yes?"

"You noticed that Hazuki called me Mitsuki?" the Class President asked.

"Yeah," Minazuki said. "Hazuki likes to shorten people's names. I guess because you have such a somewhat unusual name, that Hazuki decided to simply just cut off the first part of it."

"I see," Fumitsuki said, understanding. "Now, where was I? Oh, yes. I was eating in the cafeteria…"

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Chitose asked, getting almost bored. 

"Almost there, Chitose," Kazu said. The minivan was driving up a hill towards the Gokajou house. Chitose noticed that Kenichi was napping on his shoulder, and was about to shove him towards Satsuki.

"Don't even THINK about shoving him this way again," was her response.

"Sorry, Satsuki," Chitose said. "Kazu said we're almost at your dad's place."

"We are?" Satsuki then looked out the window, seeing her house in the distance. "Oh, we are. Chitose, I think you're going to love this place. It's got its own indoor swimming pool, a game room, an exercise room. I haven't been here in so long."

"Well, don't worry, Satsuki," Chitose said, putting Keni down and putting an arm around her, much to her surprise. "You're almost home."

"Yeah…home," Satsuki said almost nonchalantly. She started having somewhat dirty thoughts about her and Chitose again. _NO!_, she scolded herself. _Don't even THINK those things!_

"We're here," Kazu said, stopping the car and turning the engine off. At that moment, Chitose got out of the van and stretched a bit.

"Out of my way!" Keni shoved Chitose out of the way as he reached into his pocket to grab a cigarette. He then reached for his lighter and lit up. Upon his first smoke in what seemed like forever, he sighed. "I haven't smoked in six hours."

"You have no willpower whatsoever, man," Daichi said as he got out of the car. "Hey, Chi, do you want to help Mako and I get the luggage down?"

"Sure," Chitose responded. Chitose and Dai walked back to the van, where Mako had already climbed to the top and grabbed a piece of luggage.

"Banzai!" Mako tossed down one of the bags towards Chitose, who was less than successful in catching it, but very successful in being knocked down.

"OH!" Chitose said upon having the heavy piece of luggage impacted upon him.

"Chitose!" Satsuki and Kazu ran over to him. "Are you okay?" Satsuki asked.

"I think some of my ribs are broken."

"Sorry about that, Chi," Mako said. Kazu and Satsuki then lifted the bag off of the sore Chitose.

"What was in that bag?" Chitose asked, still grimacing in pain.

"I'm afraid it was my weights, Chitose," Satsuki said ashamedly.

"Saki, we have plenty of weights in the exercise room," Kazu said.

"They were the first weights I ever bought, Kaz," Satsuki said somewhat proudly.

"Uh…a little help?" Chitose was still floored from the impact. Luckily for him, Mako helped him up. "Thanks, Mako."

"I'm so sorry, Chitose," Mako replied, somewhat ashamed.

"It's all right. I've been through a lot worse." At that moment, Chitose felt his other arm go around Satsuki, who had rushed over to help. "You don't have to do this, Satsuki."

"I really want to, Chitose," Satsuki said. "After all, I do care about you."

"Thanks, Satsuki."

"Can you walk, Chi?" Mako asked.

"I've been through worse," Chitose replied nonchalantly. Mako then let him go, but Satsuki still held onto him. "Satsuki, you don't have to hold onto me. I'm fine."

"I know," Satsuki said. "But I'm still worried about you. I tell you what. Before we go into the house, why don't I show you something?"

"All right," Chitose said. "But on one condition."

"Name it."

"Please let go of me."

"Okay, Chitose." Reluctantly, Satsuki let go of her "son." Chitose then held onto his ribs while he was walking.

"I'm okay, Satsuki," Chitose reassured her. "Don't worry about me."

"I know," Satsuki said.

"But as I said earlier, I've been through a lot worse than this. There was the whole Spirit of Misfortune thing with Yayoi, and don't even get me started with Kisaragi's 'experiments'." The two then walked around the pool house. "Is this your father's garage, Satsuki?"

"Nah, it's our pool house," she said. "Dad had it built when I first got into swimming."

"Really? And when was that?"

"When I turned four years old." Chitose was not really surprised about Satsuki getting into swimming so young. "We're here." Chitose turn looked around and noticed that they were at a balcony, one that had an impressive view of Tokushima city.

"Wow," Chitose said. "What is that?"

"That's the Tokushima City." Satsuki and Chitose noticed that Kazu had followed them. "Hell of a view, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," Chitose said, still awed by the view.

"Glad you like it, Chi," Kazu said. "By the way, Saki, dad's going to meet us over to the family memorial."

"Okay."

"Family Memorial?" Chitose asked.

"It's where our family members are laid to rest," Satsuki said.

"Oh."

"Come on. I'll introduce you to him." Satsuki then took Chitose over to the family memorial, while Kazu followed them.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the secret island base, Kanna was trying to think of a way to escape from Kisaragi. 

"I've got to get out of here! I can't even begin to imagine what Kisaragi is planning to do to me next." She peeked out of her room, checking the hallways, seeing that the coast was clear. Kanna then snuck out of the room, creeping through the hallways and nearing the exit, when…

"Where are you going, Kanna?" Kanna gasped then turned around to find Kisaragi wearing one of Kanna's lab jackets over some clothes that she had packed for her 'trip.'

"I was, uh…," Kanna said, trying to come up with a cover story, "going to for a walk."

"Yeah right, Kanna," Kisaragi said, unemotionally. "You were planning to escape me, weren't you?"

"Nuh-uh," Kanna tried to reassure her.

"I have an idea, Kanna," Kisaragi said, approaching her. "Why don't we play a good old-fashioned game of backgammon?"

"Backgammon?" Kanna whined. "But I hate that game." She then dropped to her knees, crying. _This really sucks_, Kanna thought to herself.

* * *

Back at the Gokajou family residence, Satsuki and Chitose were walking to the family memorial, where Kazu had already ran ahead to the other Gokajous. Chitose noticed a man that was definitely taller than the other men there, and thought that he was probably their father. The man, who looked grizzled and gruff, immediately turned to face the upcoming Satsuki and her 'son.' 

"Papa-san!" Satsuki ran out to her father. The grizzled man immediately smiled and extended his arms.

"Hey, Saki!" Satsuki immediately jumped into her father's arms, and he held her in an embrace. Chitose was shocked to see this huge man picking up his daughter almost like a rag doll. Papa-san then set Satsuki down. "How have you been?"

"I've been doing great, Papa-san." Satuski said. "I haven't seen you face-to-face in so long!"

"At least you still keep in contact with me, unlike _some_ of my children," he said, glaring at Daichi.

"What?" Daichi asked. "I told you, pops, I was in jail, and they would only let me call the embassy."

"Right," Papa-san said sarcastically. He then turned his attention to Chitose, who was still stunned. "Is that your boyfriend, Saki?" Chitose just stuttered in response.

"Yes, Papa-san, he is," Satsuki said, walking over to Chitose. "Chitose, this my father, Hiroto Gokajou. Papa-san, this is Chitose Hitotose, my boyfriend." She then forced Chitose into a 'bowing' position.

"It's nice to meet you," Chitose said. He then gently pushed Satsuki's arm away from him so that he could let himself up. He then stared up at Hiroto. "No wonder they call you the 'Giant'." Hiroto simply laughed at that.

"Well, I am big for a Japanese man, at 203 centimeters," Hiroto started, "but I've known wrestlers that were bigger than me. I've even wrestled men bigger than me." He then extended his right hand, as a gesture of friendship. Chitose looked at him with a bit of suspicion. "I'm not going to bite." After a bit of hesitation, Chitose accepted the handshake. "There's a good lad. Come, I'll show you the family memorial," Hiroto said as he led Chitose through the memorial. Satsuki stayed behind with her brothers.

"That's your boyfriend, sis?" Mako asked non-convinced.

"Yes, Mako, he is," Satsuki replied steadfastly.

"He's kind of young to be your _amante_," Daichi said, with the other brothers giving him a confused look. "I guess the Portuguese is still rubbing off on me."

* * *

At the family memorial, Chitose and Hiroto were walking and talking. 

"So, who exactly is buried here?" Chitose asked.

"My parents, my paternal grandparents, my older brother, my father's brother and two sisters, and my beloved," Hiroto answered as they stopped in front of his wife's grave. The inscription read…

_Sachiko Gokajou  
1944-1992  
Beloved Wife and Mother_

"I knew her for over twenty-five years, Chitose," Hitoro continued. "My brother passed away the year after Sachi and I were married." He then looked over at Chitose. "Have you ever lost someone that was close to you?"

"My parents died when I was young," Chitose said. "I never really knew them that well, but I guess you could say we were close."

"Yeah," Hitoro said, putting an arm around Chitose. "It's always difficult to lose someone that's very close to you. When my wife died, Saki transferred from Shikoku to Tokyo. It took her three years to gather the courage to come back here." It was at that moment, that he let his arm go and walked over to the grave. "The family's back together again, _koishii_." It was at that moment that Satsuki arrived at the grave site.

"Papa-san…" Chitose and Hiroto both turned to face her. "Would you excuse me for a few minutes?"

"Of course, Saki," Hiroto said. "Come, Chitose. Let me show you around the house."

"Actually, I wanted to stay with Satuski," Chitose said.

"Chitose…" Satsuki gave him a serious look. Hiroto then put his hand on Chitose's shoulder.

"I think it would be best if we left her alone for a few minutes," Hiroto said. Chitose nodded in response at him, then turned back to Satsuki.

"I'll see you in a bit, Satsuki," Chitose said as he and Hiroto left the P.E. teacher alone with her mother.

"I'm sorry I haven't seen you much, Mama-san," Satsuki said. "There's a lot that's happened to me over the past three years. Let me start at the beginning…"

* * *

"Whoa, baby!" Chitose was definitely impressed by the Gokajou family home. It had twenty-two rooms, four fireplaces, five chandeliers imported from Canada, two porches, the aforementioned pool house which featured an indoor swimming pool w/bath facilities, and as Chitose had visited earlier, a family memorial in the backyard. 

"There's one thing I should warn you about, Chi." Keni said. "Don't go into the basement."

"What's in the basement?" Chitose asked.

"We call it the Torture Room," Mako said. "It's where dad holds training camp for new wrestlers. It's been compared to the old WCW Power Plant, or even Stu Hart's Dungeon."

"Who's Stu Hart?" Chitose asked.

"One of the most respected figures in professional wrestling," Hiroto said, showing Chitose a picture of him with Stu Hart. "That picture was taken back when I visited him around the '88 Olympics." He then noticed Keni with a lit cigarette in his mouth. "What did I tell you about smoking in my house?" Keni quickly put it out on the floor. "What did I tell you about putting out your cigarettes in the house?" Sighing, he simply said, "Torture room, five minutes."

"Oh, dad!" Hiroto just gave him a stern look. "Yes, papa-san." And with that, Kenichi went to the 'torture room' as Mako put it.

"Makoto," Hiroto started.

"Yes, dad?"

"When Satsuki enters the house, be sure to ask if she'll help me make dinner tonight."

"Sure thing, pops," Mako said, watching Hiroto leave the room.

"What exactly is the Torture Room?" Chitose asked Mako.

"It's one of the most notorious training rooms in the world of athletics," Mako said. "Like I said earlier, it's been compared to the old WCW Power Plant, and even Stu Hart's Dungeon. In fact, when my dad first met Stu Hart in the 1970s, he got to visit the Hart House, and his family. And, of course, he got to go into the Dungeon."

"What are you guys talking about?" Chitose and Mako turned to see Satsuki, who had just entered the house.

"Oh, hey, Satsuki," Chitose greeted her. "Mako was just telling me about your dad's Torture Room." At that moment, Satsuki grabbed her younger brother and put her into a headlock.

"You told him about the Torture Room?" Satuski asked worriedly.

"I didn't tell him what goes on in there…yet," Mako said. "I was going to, though, when you interrupted me." Mako was now struggling to breathe. "Could you please let go of me?" Reluctantly, Satsuki let go, allowing Mako to regain his composure. "I get enough of that from dad in the Torture Room. Speaking of whom, Dad wants to know if you'll help him cook dinner tonight."

"Why, sure I'll help him," Satsuki said. "By the way, where is Papa-san?"

"Two guesses, and you only need one," Mako said.

Sighing, Satsuki simply said, "Who's he torturing this time?"

"Keni," Mako said. "Dad caught him smoking in the house again."

"I've got to see this," Satsuki said as she happily went towards the basement. Mako was about to follow her, but Chitose stopped him.

"Satsuki can cook?" Chitose simply asked him.

"Yeah," Mako said. "She can cook some mean radish rosettes. Learned the recipe from mom." After a brief pause, Mako spoke again. "Look, I've got to go unpack. We'll talk later, man." Chitose and Mako then did a high-five-handshake combo.

"Yeah, see you." The two then went their separate ways. As Chitose was walking, Daichi caught up with him.

"Hey, Chi." Chitose turned around to face him. "Just the person I was looking for. Listen, we don't enough rooms for everyone, so a couple of us are going to have to pair off. Is that okay with you?"

"Sure, I guess," Chitose said. "Where is everyone staying?"

"Well, Kazu's going to stay in his own room," Daichi began explaining. "I'm rooming with Mako. You definitely don't want to room with Keni. That just leaves Tommy and Saki." At that moment, Tommy showed up.

"Hey, guys."

"Hey, Tommy," Daichi said.

"What are you guys doing?" Tommy asked.

"We're trying to figure out where Chitose is staying," Daichi replied.

"Oh, cool," Tommy said. "Hey, Chi, since you're Saki's boyfriend, I want to know if you two have done it yet." Chitose's reply was a kick to Tommy's groin, causing him to wince in pain and collapse, covering his private parts.

"I take it you don't want to stay with Tommy," Daichi said.

"Exactly," Chitose said. He then glanced down at Tommy, who was still holding his crotch in pain. He then asked, "Where is Satsuki's room at?"

"I had a feeling you'd be staying with her, so that's where I moved your stuff," Daichi said. "Come. I'll show you where it's at." As he was about to take Chitose to Satsuki's room, Tommy continued moaning in pain. "Serves you right!" Daichi said as he and Chitose left Tommy still on the floor.

* * *

Back at the Yazakura condo, Fumitsuki and Mina were getting ready to play Old Maid with a deck of playing cards that were in Fumitsuki's bag. 

"I've never really played Old Maid with poker cards before, Fumitsuki," Minazuki said as Fumitsuki was opening the box with the cards.

"Well, it's just like regular Old Maid, Minazuki," Fumitsuki explained as she was searching through the cards and taking out Jokers while explaining the rules. "The only difference is that one of the Queens is taken out." At that moment, she took out the Queen of Diamonds. "Now, to get a pair, you have to match colored suit to colored suit. For example, heart-to-diamond, and spade-to-club."

"But why did you take out the Queen of Diamonds?" Mina asked.

"That's where the Old Maid comes in," Fumitsuki explained as she showed Mina the Queen of Hearts. "I don't get a chance to play card games very much, but when I play Old Maid, I always use the Queen of Hearts as the Old Maid."

"But why?" Minazuki asked.

"Ever see Alice in Wonderland?" Mina was wondering what Fumitsuki was talking about, then realized it.

"Oh…I get it now," Mina said happily. She then noticed Fumitsuki shuffling the cards like a professional. "You're pretty good at shuffling, Fumitsuki."

"You can thank my father for that," she said as she continued shuffling. "He's a very skilled card player, and every chance he gets, he goes to Las Vegas, Atlantic City, or some other big gambling town." Fumitsuki then started dealing the cards, first to Mina, then to her. "My mom's starting to get into the gambling habit as well." After dealing all the cards, Fumitsuki started pairing off, but Mina looked a little confused.

"Uh, Fumitsuki," Mina said. "I kind of forgot what the pairs were."

"We're pairing by color, Minazuki," Fumitsuki said. "Heart-to-diamond and spade-to-club."

"Oh, okay," Mina said, as she started pairing off. After they paired off, they started picking each other's cards. Soon, Mina was down to two cards—a trey of clubs and the "old maid," and Fumitsuki had the trey of spades.

"Looks like it's my turn," Fumitsuki said. She took one of Mina's cards, but it turned out to be the Old Maid. "Darn it!" She then shuffled her two cards so fast Mina couldn't remember where the maid was. "Remember, Minazuki, the hand is quicker than the eye." At that moment, Mina picked a card, and then placed the last pair in the pile.

"Yay, I win!" Mina exclaimed, jumping up and down.

"Damn it!" Fumitsuki said to herself. She then said out loud, "Best two-out-of-three." She started to pick up the cards again when the door to the bedroom opened.

"Hey, guys," Hazuki peeked through the door, then opened it completely, revealing that she was wearing a bathrobe.

"Oh, hey, Hazuki," Mina said. "What's up?"

"I'm going to be taking a shower, and after I'm done, we're going to go out to eat."

"Out…to eat?" Fumitsuki asked herself, noticing that the belt on Hazuki's robe was a little loose, and it looked as it thought it might fall off any second.

"Yeah," Hazuki said as she tightened her belt. "The stove still isn't working, and the guy I called to come and fix it hasn't called me back yet. So, where do you girls want to eat?"

"I really don't know, Hazuki," Mina said worriedly. "I mean, you _have_ been banned from just about every restaurant in the city."

"Don't worry about it, Mina," Hazuki said. "I know a great place that'll satisfy everyone, and it's a place I haven't been banned from yet."

Mina then got a bad feeling about this. "You don't mean…"

"Yeah, we're going to Raul's," Hazuki said. "Well, I'm going to shower now. When I'm done, and I get dressed, we're leaving. See you guys later." She then left the room and shut the door.

"In case you're wondering, Fumitsuki," Mina started, "Raul's is a place where they serve Mexican and Japanese food. They also serve something called 'Mexicanese' food, which his mix of both." She then noticed the shocked look on Fumitsuki's face. "Are you okay?"

"Um, Mina," Fumitsuki said, as she was regaining her composure, "does your sister always walk around your place with little clothing on?"

"Well, she feels a lot comfortable with not much clothing on here at home," Mina explained. "For some reason, she also feels comfortable with very little clothing on in front of Chitose. In fact, one time when we were on vacation at a hot springs, Chitose was relaxing in the bath, but he forgot that it was a mixed bath. I guess you can put two and two together."

"I don't think I needed to hear that, Mina," Fumitsuki said, blushing.

"Did I mention that she usually doesn't wear any underwear?"

_I think I'm starting to regret this decision,_ Fumitsuki thought to herself. _I just hope I can mike it through dinnertime_.

* * *

Speaking of dinnertime, Satsuki and Hiroto were making a fantastic dinner for the family and guest. In the living room, Kazu was doing some tai chi while Mako and Tommy were watching a wrestling match on TV. Chitose had just finished unpacking when he entered the living room to join in with three of the five Gokajou bros. 

"What are you guys watching?" Chitose asked.

"We're watching a wrestling match from the 1980s," Mako said. "It's a tag match between The British Bulldogs and The Hart Foundation."

"British Bulldogs? Hart Foundation?" Needless to say, Chitose was confused.

"Well, the British Bulldogs, as you can probably guess, are the ones with the Union Flags on their tights," Mako explained. "They consist of The Dynamite Kid and Davey Boy Smith. That's Davey Boy in the ring right now. He passed away some time ago."

"What'd he die of?" Chitose asked curiously.

"Heart attack," Mako said. "A number of wrestlers, Chitose, especially during the '70s and '80s, used steroids to enhance their bodies. Sure, they looked incredibly muscular, but a lot of them paid for it in the end."

"Oh," Chitose said. "What about this Hart Foundation?"

"They consisted of Jim 'The Anvil' Neidhart, who's in the ring right now, and Bret 'Hit Man' Hart," Mako explained.

"I've heard of Bret Hart, but I've never heard of the other guys," Chitose admitted.

"Maybe that's because you don't watch wrestling," Tommy said.

"Tommy," Mako scolded him.

"Sorry."

"Anyways, Chi," Mako continued, "Dynamite, Davey Boy, The Anvil, and The Hitman were all trained by Stu Hart. In fact, Jim Neidhart and Davey Boy Smith were once married to two of Bret Hart's sisters."

"And let me guess," Chitose said, "Stu Hart is Bret's father."

"Bingo," Mako said. At that moment, someone knocked on the front door. "Tommy, get the door."

"Why do I have to get the door?" Tommy complained.

"Because you're an idiot."

"Never mind, guys," Kazu said, ceasing his tai chi for now. "I'll get it." As Kazu was heading towards the front door, everyone else in the room continued watching the match.

"Didn't Bret have a brother that was killed in an accident?" Chitose asked.

"Yeah," Mako said. "I met him once before. He seemed like a nice guy."

At the front door, Kazu opened it, revealing a postwoman with a package by her on the porch and holding a clipboard.

"May I help you?" Kazu asked.

"Are you Hirokazu Gokajou?" the postwoman asked.

"That would be me." At that moment, the postwoman handed him the clipboard.

"Sign here, please." After he signed the clipboard and handed it back to the postwoman, the girl thanked him and handed him the large box. "Here you go."

"Thank you very much," Kazu said.

"Have a nice day, sir."

"Thank you," Kazu bowed as she left the house. He then noticed Keni smoking outside. "Put that damn thing out, Kenichi. It's almost time for dinner." After blowing out that last piece of smoke, Keni put the cigarette out before going back into the house.

Back in the living room, Chitose, Mako, and Tommy were now watching a different wrestling match (the one they were watching earlier had ended) when Kazu came in with his package.

"Hey, guys," Kazu said, setting the package down on the floor.

"Tell me that is what I think it is," Mako said.

"If it's my Ultimate Boxing video collection, then you're thinking right," Kazu said as he was using his pocketknife to open the box, revealing a number of videocassettes in it.

"All right!" Mako said as he leapt from the couch to look through the box of videotapes.

"What exactly is on those tapes, Kazu?" Chitose asked as he turned off the TV.

"Hey, I was watching that!" Tommy said.

"Oh, quit whining, Tommy," Kazu said. "Besides, dinner will be ready soon." At that moment, Satsuki entered the living room with an apron on.

"Dinner's ready," she announced.

"All right!" Tommy said as he went into the dining room.

"I guess we'll have to go through this later," Kazu said as he and Mako went into the dining room. Keni followed the two of them, as Chitose walked over to Satsuki.

"Where's Daichi?" Chitose asked.

"I don't know," Satsuki said. "Last time I saw him was when he was taking his stuff into Mako's room." At that moment, Daichi ran past the two.

"All right, dinner time!" Daichi said. "I haven't eaten since six o'clock this morning." Chitose and Satsuki then stared at each other.

"So…what do you think of my brothers?" Satsuki asked him.

"I don't really know yet," Chitose said. "We are staying here for a few days, so maybe I'll get to know them better."

"Yeah," Satsuki said. She then unconsciously put her arm around Chitose's, much to his embarrassment. "So…let's eat."

"Yeah…let's," Chitose said, as the two walked arm-in-arm towards the dining room.

* * *

Notes: I've made a Happy Lesson character guide on my profile in case anyone is interested. I'll be adding characters as the series goes along. 

Just thought I'd warn everyone, the next chapter will not feature any of the Gokajous, or Chitose for that matter. It will basically feature the other moms (Mutsuki, Yayoi, Uzuki, and Kisaragi), as well as the sisters (Hazuki and Mina), and of course, Fumitsuki, and their happenings during this time. Think of it as a filler chapter.

This is for any pro wrestling fans reading this. Yes, I did base Satsuki's father on the legendary Stu Hart, and the house is based on the historic Hart House in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The only difference is that Hart's house didn't have a pool behind it (at least, I think it didn't. If there are anyone that has been to the Hart House, please let me know).

I should also warn you people that the rating _might_ go up in the next few chapters. Just consider this a warning.

Until next time.


	6. Checkin' on the Moms

Disclaimer: I do not own "Happy Lesson," its characters or concepts.

Now, an explanation on when exactly this story takes place in. It takes place in the year A.D. 2002, which, incidentally, was the year the Happy Lesson TV series first aired on Japan. You can find a brief timeline at the end of the chapter.

Now, this chapter is, more or less, a "filler" chapter. That means we will be mainly focusing on the other moms, as well as Fumitsuki, Minazuki, and Hazuki. Enjoy

* * *

On the island of Hokkaido, the car which had Mutsuki Ichimonji as its passenger, and was driven by her father, Hikaru, was now arriving at the Ichimonji Ranch, which isn't exactly a 'ranch' in the traditional sense, but it was a large area of land which featured a large mansion, as well as its own private hot springs. 

"I don't know why dad never showed us the hot springs," Hikaru said. "Maybe he didn't want us bathing there, but I guess we'll never know."

"I could really use a dip in those hot springs," Mutsuki said. "I haven't really had a chance to relax all day because I had to make sure everyone made it to their destinations all right."

"Mu-chan, you worry way too much," Hikaru said chuckling. "I'll show you where the hot springs are once you get settled in. Speaking of which," he then tuned off the car, "we're here." Mutsuki then get out of the car, walked over to the front of the house, and was immediately amazed by the size of her parents' new house.

"Wow!" she exclaimed. "You both live here now?"

"Yep," Hikaru said as he got the luggage out of the boot. "It's definitely a contrast to all those dumps we've lived in over the years." Mutsuki then gave him a weird look. "What?"

"I liked that 'dump' where we lived when I was at the Koyomi Academy," Mutsuki said, somewhat angry.

"Well, I guess it was better than the other dumps we lived in, but it wasn't as good as this," Hikaru said.

"I guess not," Mutsuki said sadly.

"I apologize if I offended you, Mu-chan," Hikaru said.

"It's okay, Daddy," Mutsuki then hugged her father and kissed him on the cheek. Chuckling, Hikaru then grabbed Mutsuki's luggage and walked with her to the front door.

"Do you want to knock, or should I?" Hikaru asked his daughter.

"I think I'll knock, Daddy," Mutsuki said. "Besides, you've got your hands full with the luggage."

"Just please knock quickly," Hikaru said, struggling to keep a hold of the luggage. "I'm going to pull a muscle in a matter of minutes." Mutsuki then knocked on the door, then stepped back. After about thirty seconds, the front door opened, revealing a woman who looked like she was Mutsuki's age.

"Mutsuki!"

"Mama-san!" The two women ran over to each other and embraced for about half a minute. Satomi Ichimonji looked like a woman in her mid-20s, but she was actually in her mid-50s. Unlike her daughter, Satomi had gray hair, but was hearing an apron-dress similar to what Mutsuki wore in 'mom-mode.'

"Satomi, my shoulders are starting to separate," Hikaru said bearing the pain.

"Oh, sorry about that, dear," Satomi said as she took come of the luggage from her sore husband. "Mutsuki, I could use some help." Mutsuki then took the rest of the luggage from her father as all three went into the house and set the luggage down on the ground. Of course, they removed their shoes upon entering the house.

"Oh, I thought my arm was going to come out of its socket," Hikaru said as he walked over to the couch and slumped onto it. At that moment, Satomi walked over and started rubbing his shoulders. "Oh, that's the spot, Tomi. That's the spot right there." Satomi continued massaging for about a minute before stopping. "Hey, what's going on here?"

"I'm sorry, Hikaru, but your daughter is visiting us, remember?" Satomi said.

"Oh, right," Hikari said, snapping his fingers. "Sorry about that, Mu-chan."

"It's all right, daddy," Mutsuki said, smiling. "I forgive you."

"Okay, Mu-chan," Hikaru said. "Come. I'll show you where you'll be staying." He was about to pick up some of Mutsuki's luggage, but Satomi beat him to it.

"I'll handle it, dear," she said. Although you probably couldn't tell at first, Satomi did some weight training, and had previously worked as a physical education teacher after retiring from figure staking. The three Ichimonjis then walked towards the guest rooms.

* * *

"This is where you'll be staying, Mu-chan." Hikaru opened the door, revealing a pretty fancy bedroom with a dresser/mirror, a bookshelf with books, a small table with two chairs, a 13-inch television, a walk-in closet, and a private lavatory. 

"Wow," Mutsuki said, admiring the room.

"And the best thing about this room," Hikaru said. "If you go right to the end of the hall, and make a left, the hot springs will be on your right."

"How many hot springs are there at the ranch?" Mutsuki asked as she was putting beginning to unpack.

"There's the men's and the women's hot springs to the left," Hikaru continued. "If you make a right at the end of the hall and another left, you'll find the private hot springs. Speaking of which, I think I'm going to go there in a few minutes." He then looked as his wife "Would you care to join me?"

"I have to cook dinner, dear," Satomi said, emphasizing the word 'dear.' "We have a guest tonight, remember?"

"Oh, that's right. Dr. Kobayashi is coming over to visit," Hikaru remembered. He then looked at Mutsuki, "You know, he's looking forward to seeing you, Mu-chan."

"Don't remind me," Mutsuki said rolling her eyes.

"Oh, right," he said somewhat embarrassed. He then turned to his wife, "You think she would have gotten over it by now."

"Well, for some women, it's a little harder to forgive and forget," Satomi said.

"But Mutsuki's not like most women, is she?"

"I guess not." The two then kissed which turned into a sort-of make-out session, which ended when Mutsuki cleared her throat to get their attention.

"Could you two please leave the room?" Mutsuki asked. "I'm about to change now."

"Right. Right," Hikaru said, blushing a little. "Well, I'll see the two of you at dinner." He then stumbled out of the room before heading down the hallway. As soon as he was out of eyesight, Satomi handed her daughter a pamphlet.

"What is this?" Mutsuki asked.

"A map," Satomi said. "When we first moved in here, your father was lost in the house for over six hours. He recommended we make these so people don't get lost."

"Has he been losing it over the past year or so?" Mutsuki asked.

"I heard that!" Hikaru said from down the hall. Both women then blushed in embarrassment.

"If you need me, I'll be in the kitchen," Satomi said.

"Okay. See you later, Mama," Mutsuki said as her mother left the room and shut the door behind her. She then opened the closet, which had a yukata hanging on a hanger. "Just try to enjoy yourself, Mutsuki," she said to herself as she began undressing.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Akaishis, Susumu was still meditating when someone knocked on his chamber door. This brought him out of the trance. 

"Who is it?" he asked. He then smacked himself on the forehead. _It's Yayoi, you baka! Who else would it be?_, he mentally scolded himself. He then got up and opened the door, which revealed the person behind it to be Yayoi Sanzenin, wearing her miko uniform. "Miss Sanzenin."

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you, Susumu-san," Yayoi said, which caused Susumu to blush a little. "I was just wondering when we will begin our spiritual journey."

"Um…well," Susumu stuttered. "Could you give me a minute on that?" He then shut the door to compose himself, which left Yayoi a little bit confused. After a minute, he opened the door, fully composed, and ready to speak. "We'll be leaving for our journey at midnight. Before then, we'll have dinner before a light nap. I must warn you though, I'm not much of a cook."

"That's okay," Yayoi said. "I can make the dinner, if that's all right with you."

"Uh, uh," Susumu stuttered for about fifteen seconds, before quickly regaining his composure. "Sure, you can dinner for us. Go right ahead."

Yayoi looked at him inquisitively. "Are you all right?" she asked.

"Uh, sure, absolutely," Susumu said nervously. "Listen, why do you cook for us while I go meditate some more?" He the unconsciously shut the door in Yayoi's face, before opening it again. "Sorry about that, Miss Sanzenin." He then shut it again, leaving Yayoi very confused.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the city of Kyoto, a newlywed couple can be seen walking through the streets hand-in-hand. The husband was a brunette, while the wife had violet-colored hair. 

"So, what should we do now, my dear?" the wife asked.

"Well, I was hoping we could go see a play," the husband replied.

"A play?"

"Yeah, they're doing a kabuki re-imagining of Gilbert and Sullivan's _H.M.S. Pinafore_ at the Minamiza," he explained.

"I've never heard of Gilbert and Sullivan or the H.M.S. Pinafore."

"One of my friends told me about it," he said. "He said it was the funniest thing he had seen in a long time."

"Well…okay," she said, smiling. At that moment, a saber was held against her neck, causing her to sweat heavily.

"This looks a real nice-looking lady, _n'est pas_?" Suzuki was dressed up as Cardinal Richelieu, an antagonist in the Three Musketeers stories.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" the husband asked with an angry look on his face. Richelieu then aimed the saber at _his_ neck.

"You dare challenge the great Richelieu?"

"No, but _we_ do," Richelieu heard a voice and turned around to find Shizuka, Uzuki, and Yumiko dressed up as Aramis, Athos, and Porthos, respectively. It was Athos that spoke.

"How come I have to be Aramis?" Shizuka whispered.

"Shut up," Uzuki whispered back. She then spoke out loud, "You dare attack innocent people?"

"You pesky musketeers have been a thorn in my side for far too long," Richelieu said as he turned around and pointed his sword at the musketeers. "This time we fight to the death."

"_En Garde_," Athos extended 'his' sword and began dueling with Richelieu. During the fight, Richelieu slipped a small piece of paper in Athos' uniform. Soon, the other musketeers joined in the swordfight, with numerous people gathering around the area to witness this.

"What weird people," the husband said to his wife.

"Actually, I've heard of those people," a women with red hair dressed in a business suit walked up next to the newlywed couple. "They're called the Cosplay Group. They perform skits all across Japan."

"How do you know about this?" the wife asked.

"I, uh…asked them to perform at my graduation party." The Musketeers continued fighting Richelieu until the Cardinal's sword was knocked out of his hands and caught by Porthos. Upon seeing this, he leapt over some people and ran off.

"He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day!"

"Darn! He got away again!" Athos said. Despite this, the crowd enjoyed it and gave them a huge ovation. All three musketeers then took their bows.

"Thank you. Thank you very much," Porthos said to the crowd.

"Thank you. We'll be here all week!" Aramis said.

"Thank you very much! We love you all!" Athos said. Then, all three took another bow before heading off into the distance.

"Definitely the weirdest people I have ever seen," the husband said.

"Yeah," the wife finally said, recovering from the initial shock. "Are we still on for the kabuki show?"

"Hell yeah," he responded.

Meanwhile, the Musketeers had gone into an alleyway, and began removing their disguises, turning them back into Cosplay Group members.

"Man, I hate wearing mustaches," Yumiko said, now speaking in her normal Kansai accent. She took her glasses out of her case and put them back on.

"You know who I'd like to Cosplay as next time?" Shizuka asked as she put on her headband.

"Quite frankly, no one even cares, Shizuka," Uzuki said as she let her blonde hair flow down. She then noticed the letter sticking out of her costume, so she took a look at it.

_My Sister From Another Mother,_

_I'd like to see you in my office as soon as possible._

_Takashi Suzuki  
Master and Ruler of the World_

As soon as she read it, she turned to Yumiko. "Hey, Yumi?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you know where Suzuki's office is?" Uzuki asked. Yumiko simply gave her a map. "What this for?"

"It's a map that has all the places we'll be going to during this trip," Yumiko said. "It also the location of where we're staying at, which will include Suzuki's 'office'." She used air-quotes when she said _office_.

"Okay. Thanks, Yumiko. I'll call you two later," Uzuki said as she took off towards Suzuki's 'office.' Just a moment later, Shizuka snuck behind Yumiko and started fondling her breasts!

"AH! SHIZUKA!"

"I haven't been able to do this in weeks!" Shizuka said excitedly, as she slipped a hand into Yumiko's pants!

"SHIZUKA!" Yumiko shouted, but to no avail. However, a woman with long blonde hair was walking by, a woman who was watching the performance earlier in the day.

"I never went that far," she said, witnessing what was going on in the alley.

* * *

On the secret island, Kanna and Kisaragi had been playing backgammon for at least seven hours. Kanna looked over at the board and saw that she was losing…again. 

"How come you always get doubles when you need it?" Kanna asked as Kisaragi was about to make her roll.

"It's all in the wrist," Kisaragi said as she rolled the dice. "Double sixes." She then put her remaining checkers at home. "I win again." Kanna then slumped herself on the backgammon board.

"That's the forty-seventh game in a row," Kanna whined, then let herself up. "I'm going to bed." She was about to head to her bedroom, but Kisaragi interrupted.

"But we're just getting started," Kisaragi said as she was putting away the backgammon game. "We could play Parcheesi, or Yahtzee, or even Monopoly."

"I don't want to play any more board games," Kanna continued whining.

"Okay, Monopoly it is," Kisaragi said. "You want to play the American Version, the British Version, the French Version, the Spanish Version, the German Version, the Italian Version, or the Japanese Version?"

"If there is a God out there, please end it now," Kanna said, with tears in her eyes.

"American Version it is," Kisaragi said, taking out the American version of Monopoly.

* * *

In a large warehouse, Uzuki was walking through it, and noticed a wooden door with no walls surrounding it. She walked around it and found a desk with Suzuki sitting behind it, and two men, one with long, black hair and a goatee, and the other, with darker skin, and a goatee as well, sitting in front of the desk. 

"Excuse me…" Uzuki started.

"Use the damn door!" All three men shouted.

"Oops! Sorry!" Uzuki went back behind the door then opened it. "Is that better?"

"Yes it is, my sister," Suzuki said. He then turned to the two men, "Will you two excuse us for a few minutes?"

"Sure thing, man," the long-haired man said. "Hey, are you sure we're going to be able to join?"

"Well, you definitely have the right credentials," Suzuki said. "We'll talk more about this later."

"Okay, bro," the dark-skinned man said. "See you later, man." The two shook hands with Suzuki, then left the office, through the door.

"Who were those guys?" Uzuki asked.

"Aspiring club members," Suzuki said. "Please, have a seat." Uzuki then sat down as Suzuki stood up and walked to the coffee maker. "Coffee?"

"No thank you," Uzuki said. Suzuki then made himself a cup of coffee then sat back down in his chair.

"You know that boy that you said earlier was your son, Miss Shittenou?" Suzuki asked with a stern look on his face.

"Yes," Uzuki said with a nervous look on her face.

"Could I see that photograph again?" he asked.

"Sure," she said, handing him a photograph. But, she didn't realize that she handed him the wrong photo. This one had the entire 'family,' including Minazuki and Hazuki. It had Chitose sitting on a park bench, with Mina on his right, and Hazuki on his left. Mutsuki was standing behind Mina, Yayoi was standing behind Chitose, and Kisaragi was hanging upside down behind Hazuki. Uzuki was kneeling in front of Mina, and Satsuki was kneeling in front of Hazuki. (the same photo seen in Episode 4 "Unsteady—Which Place is Big Brother's?")

"This isn't the right photo, Uzuki," Suzuki said after adjusting his glasses. Uzuki gasped at that. He then showed the photo to her. "Now, would you mind telling me who these six other women are?"

"It's a long story," Uzuki simply said.

"I have time," Suzuki said, drinking his (decaffeinated) coffee.

Sighing, Uzuki then told him how she and four of Chitose's teachers decided to move in with him and adopt him, and also about his adopted sisters, Mina and Hazuki.

"So, let me get this straight," Suzuki said. "You, and four other of your fellow teachers decided to adopt this boy because his parents were killed in a fire, and he was struggling in school."

"Yes," Uzuki simply said.

"And that one of his adopted sisters happens to be the famous pop star Hazuki Yazakura?"

"Uh, yeah," Uzuki said.

"Well, no offence, but your adopted daughter's music sucks," Suzuki said.

"None taken," Uzuki said. At that moment, a young woman with red hair tied in a braided ponytail wearing thick glasses and with somewhat…developed breasts, walked into the office without using the door.

"Excuse me…"

"Use the damn door!" Suzuki shouted. This startled the young woman as she nearly fell on the ground. "Sorry about that, miss. Are you applying for membership to the Cosplay Group?"

"Actually, yes I am," she said.

"Well, as you can see, I'm with someone at the moment," Suzuki said as he stood up to get another cup of coffee. "Please come by at another time."

"Oh, thank you sir," she said as she was about to leave the office.

"And miss?" She turned around to face Suzuki. "The next time you want to enter my office…"

"I know," she said. "Use the damn door."

"I was going to say knock first, but that works too," Suzuki said as the young woman went through the door and out of the office. He then turned back to Uzuki, "Now where was I?"

"We were discussing my son, Suzuki," Uzuki said.

"Oh, yes," Suzuki said as he started his second up of coffee in the past few minutes. "Now, what in the world would give you the idea to be this guy's mother? I mean, I know mothers are becoming younger and younger nowadays, but would freak out if they found out that this guy is your son…how old is he by the way?"

"Seventeen," Uzuki said.

"Uzuki, the guy's eight years younger than you," Suzuki said. "And I've got a 500 yen coin that says those other moms aren't that much older than you."

"Well, Kisaragi's two years older than me," Uzuki explained, "and the other moms are a year older than her."

"I see," Suzuki said. "And when did you all become Chitose's moms?"

"Last year," Uzuki said. At that moment, a scream could be heard from outside the warehouse.

"I swear, I am going to knock that women into next week one of these days," Suzuki said as he sat up and readjusted his glasses. "Now, I may eccentric, but that woman drives me crazy!" He then turned back towards Uzuki. "We'll have to continue this discussion later, Uzuki." He then headed for the door.

"I'm coming with you!" Uzuki said as she stood up from her chair and followed Suzuki through the door and out of the office. She made sure to use the door.

As soon as they got outside, they saw a purple-haired woman, perhaps no older than 16, leaning against the building, very scared.

"Keep away from me, you filthy cur!" She said to Shizuka, who was in 'squeezy-squeezy' mode still.

"Come on!" Shizuka said. "I just want to give you a breast exam."

"You leave my breasts out of this, mongrel!" This, however, did not discourage Shizuka as she kept approaching the teenager.

"Shizuka!" Shizuka turned around to find Suzuki and Uzuki standing a few feet from her. Suzuki was the one that spoke. "Sit!" Shizuki sat like a dog and whimpered. Suzuki then tossed her a piece of candy, which she started eating. He then turned to the girl against the wall. "I must apologize for the behavior of my comrade here."

"That woman is absolutely psychotic!" she yelled as she got up. "She's lucky that I don't sue her for every penny she's got!"

"Again, I wholeheartedly apologize for her," Suzuki said as he revealed a brown paper bag. "Please accept this as a token of our apologies." She suspiciously took the bag.

"What's in the bag?" she asked.

"A costume of Mama Kurata from Kodocha," Suzuki said.

"Mama Kurata?"

"Don't worry. That's not a real chipmunk in there."

"Well, I guess it'll do for now," she said. "But if it happens again…"

"Don't worry, my dear," Suzuki said. "I can assure you that it will NOT happen again." Suzuki then heard a whimper, and looked to see Uzuki checking on Yumiko. "How is she?"

"She's pale as a ghost, and completely unresponsive," Uzuki said.

"Perfect," Suzuki said. "I guess I'll have to carry her to the hideout _again_. Uzuki, keep an eye on Shizuka. Make sure she doesn't pull any stunts while I'm gone."

"Sure, Suzuki," Uzuki said as Suzuki carried Yumiko over his should and took off. Shizuka then gave Uzuki a look of arousal. "Don't even _think_ about it."

* * *

Meanwhile, at the condo, Fumitsuki was watching the TV while Hazuki was taking a shower. Minazuki, in the mean time, was changing clothes in her bedroom. While changing, she was thinking about what Fumitsuki told her earlier. 

(Flashback to earlier in the day when Fumitsuki and Mina were in her bedroom)

"Now where was I? Oh, yes," Fumitsuki remembered. "I was eating in the cafeteria when those two students, B and C, started bugging me again."

"B and C?" Mina asked, apparently confused.

"Those two idiots that always seem to get on my nerves," Fumitsuki said. "I think you met them once. B was the one the dressed up like me, and C was pretending to be Chitose."

"Oh, now I remember," Mina said.

"Well, they said something inappropriate again, so I threw them out of the cafeteria window," Fumitsuki continued. "That window happened to be on the second floor. Unfortunately, the principal was walking by at that very moment."

"Oh, my!" Mina put her hands on her face like she always does. "What happened then?"

"I was suspended from school for the next two weeks, plus I was temporarily stripped of my presidential duties," Fumitsuki said. "But that wasn't the worst part. My _parents_ decided to go on a trip to America without me, and they locked my stuff out of the house, so that's why I'm staying with you guys."

"Well, that still doesn't explain why that psychiatrist person brought you here," Mina said.

"My, uh…cell phone was still in the house, and I couldn't call you guys directly," Fumitsuki said, with her head held in shame.

"It's okay, Fumitsuki," Mina said, holding her head up. "Things can only get better from here."

(end flashback)

Mina was humming happily as she was putting on her brassiere. However, she was having trouble getting the back hooked on.

"Fumitsuki!" Mina shouted out to the living room. "Could you please help me for a second?" At that moment, Fumitsuki went into the bedroom, a little embarrassed to see Mina wearing so little. "Could you help me with by bra hook, please?"

"Oh, sure," Fumitsuki said after regaining her composure. After helping her with her hooks, Fumitsuki said, "Oh, by the way, Mina, do you know where Chitose is?"

Mina had a semi-nervous look on her face as she was about to go into her dresser drawers to get out a shirt. "Uh…what do you mean by that, Fumitsuki?" Mina asked.

"I just want to know where your brother is," Fumitsuki simply said.

"Uh…I can't tell you," Mina said.

"And why not?"

"Because if I did…" Mina was saying as she as putting on a t-shirt, "Chitose would rip out my reproductive organs."

"Did he actually say that?" Fumitsuki asked with a disgusted look on her face.

"Yes," Mina said, blushing.

"Well, if you don't tell me, I'm going to do something a lot worse than Chitose's threat," Fumitsuki said as she grabbed Mina by the shirt.

"Uh…uh…" At that moment, Hazuki peeked into the room.

"Hey, girls," Hazuki said. "I just wanted you to know that we'll be leaving in five minutes." She then went out of the room.

"I'm not going to ask you again, Minazuki," Fumitsuki was starting to tighten her grip on Mina. "Where is Chitose?"

"He, uh…" Mina needed to think of a bluff, and fast. "He was temporarily transferred to a new school."

"I don't buy that one bit, Minazuki," Fumitsuki said. "I tried asking the principal earlier today about Chitose, and when he said it was classified, I threatened him. _That_ is what got me suspended. I'm sorry I didn't mention that to you earlier."

"Please, Fumitsuki," Mina started crying. "Don't do this to me." Sighing, Fumitsuki let Mina go.

"I'm sorry, Minazuki," Fumitsuki apologized. "I shouldn't have done that to you. I've been having a really bad day today."

"It's all right," Mina said as she was dusting herself off. "As I said earlier, things can only get better."

"Yeah, better," Fumitsuki said uneasily.

* * *

Soon, everyone was ready, and they were exiting the building. 

"Where's the limo?" Fumitsuki asked.

"I gave Ryou the rest of the night off," Hazuki said. "So I'm going to be driving you guys."

"You're…going to be driving?" Fumitsuki had a scared look on her face.

"Don't worry, Fumitsuki," Mina said. "Hazuki's a great driver."

"Yeah, Fumitsuki," Hazuki said. "I actually scored the highest in my driving class, so you have absolutely nothing to worry about." As soon as she said that, that same silver car with a whole lotta dents, this time with passengers (a brown-haired wild girl in the front, a tanned girl and a brown-haired girl with glasses in the back), drove by, being chased by six police cars. "I hope they catch that crazy bitch."

Soon, they were in the car park, where they walked up to a 2001 Honda Civic 3-door hatchback.

"Well, here it is," Hazuki said as they stopped next to the car.

"You drive a Honda Civic?" Fumitsuki wondered.

"Yeah," Hazuki said. "I may be a pop star, but whenever I'm in public, I like to be more like the common people." She then unlocked the doors and they got into the car, with Mina in the back seat and Fumitsuki in the passenger's seat. Hazuki then started the car and pulled out of the parking spot, after all the girls had their seatbelts on, of course. As soon as she pulled out of the car park structure, a man was running towards the car.

"Hazuki!" It was Hiroki Natsume, Hazuki's new manager, who obviously had something important to tell her.

"Hiroki, I have time off!" Hazuki said. "Whatever you have to say can wait."

"Actually, I meant to tell you this before you took your time off, so it really cannot wait," Hiroki said. "I have something BIG planned for you once you get done with your time off." Sighing, Hazuki decided to listen to him.

"Go ahead," Hazuki said, semi-patiently.

"A four-month concert tour of North America!" Hiroko explained. "We're talking Los Angeles, we're talking Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago…the list goes on and on! So, you are going to be one busy woman when you're done with your break."

"Thanks for telling me," Hazuki said.

"No problem," Hiroko said. "Well, I'll talk to you when you're done with your break." He then ran off like the dickens.

"That is one weird man," Fumitsuki said out loud.

"Yeah, but he helps sell tickets," Hazuki said. She then turned to Mina. "Do you want to come with me on tour, Mina?"

"Huh?" Mina was apparently daydreaming. "Did you say something, Hazuki?"

"Never mind," Hazuki said. "We'll talk about it later." She then shifted into gear and pulled out onto the road.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Ichimonji Ranch, Satomi was busy making dinner for the night, when somebody knocked on the front door. 

"Just a minute," she said as she was putting things away. As soon as she was finished, she trotted over to the door and opened it, revealing a handsome man around Mutsuki's age with black hair and brown eyes. He was also wearing a medical jacket. "Dr. Kobayashi! We weren't expecting you for another few hours."

"Well, one of my patients canceled their appointment, so I thought I'd stop by early," he said. At that moment, Hikaru, wearing a yukata, entered the room.

"Hey, Taky!" he said. "I didn't expect you here so soon."

"Thank you again for inviting me for dinner," Takahiro said as he bowed.

"Hey, no need for formalities, Taky," Hikaru said. "Come on in and take your shoes off." Takahiro went into the house, took off his regular shoes, then walked into the main part of the living room. "If you're looking for Mutsuki, she's in the women's public hot springs."

"You guys have hot springs here?" Takahiro asked.

"Yeah, down the hall and to the left," Hikaru said, giving directions. Takahiro was about to go, but Satomi stopped him from going.

"You're not planning on sneaking into the women's bath, are you?" Satomi asked suspiciously.

"Of course not," Takahiro said. "I'm going into the men's bath." He then asked Hikaru, "It _is_ possible for me to talk to Mutsuki from the men's bath, isn't it?"

"Of course, Taky," Hikaru said. "If you want to talk to her, go right ahead."

In the meantime, Mutsuki Ichimonji was enjoying herself in the women's hot springs. She was relaxing without a care in the world, when she heard a voice coming from the men's hot springs.

"I can't believe that Hikaru has his own private hot springs." Mutsuki gasped as she recognized the voice. "I need to recommend this to some of my patients."

"Oh, no. Not him!" Mutsuki whined and blushed in embarrassment. On the other side, Takahiro overheard Mutsuki's moaning.

"Mutsuki, is that you?" Takahiro asked. He then stood up out of the water (he was wearing a towel around his waist, you dirty bastards) and used his upper-body strength to peek over the dividing wall. "Well, what do you know? It's Ichimonji Mutsuki! How are you doing, Mutsuki?"

"Drop dead," she said without emotion in her voice, with her back turned towards him.

"Come on, Mutsuki. I haven't seen you in nearly ten years," Takahiro said. "Could I at least see your beautiful face?" Reluctantly, Mutsuki grabbed a towel, and turned around to face her ex-boyfriend. The towel was covering her front. "That's better."

"Shouldn't you be looking at women's crotches right now?" Mutsuki asked with a bit of anger in her voice.

"I'm a total professional when it comes to that, Mu-chan," Takahiro said. "I have to admit, I'm a little cranky right now because I didn't get home until four o'clock in the morning, and I woke up at around two this afternoon." Mutsuki still gave him a dirty look. "Look, Mutsuki, that incident happened when we were seventeen years old. I can't say 'I'm sorry' enough, and no offence, but you're acting like a child right now." He then sighed somewhat in disgust. "I'll see you at dinner." And with that, he let himself down from the wall and went back into his bath. Mutsuki then dropped back into the water, somewhat angry, and blushing a little.

_I'm starting to regret coming here,_ Mutsuki thought to herself.

* * *

Notes: Now, you know that "North American Tour" that Hiroki mentioned during this chapter? It gave me another potential idea. In this story, Chitose takes the advice of his psychiatrist (another connection to one of my stories) and spends extended time away from his mothers. He decides to go with Minazuki on Hazuki's tour across North America. 

Here's a brief timeline on character dates

1935—Hiroto Gokajou is born

1941—Hikaru Ichimonji is born

1944—Sachiko Gokajou (maiden name unknown) is born

1948—Satomi Ichmonji (née Watanabe) is born

1953—Hideki Yamamoto is born

1957—Hiroto Gokajou begins training to become a professional wrestler

1962—Shigeru Yamamoto is born

1968—Hiroto Gokajou and Sachiko (maiden name unknown) marry. Satomi Watanabe competes at the Grenoble Winter Olympics.

1969—Hiroto Gokajou's older brother, Katashi, dies of cancer.

1970—Hirokazu Gokajou is born

1972—Daichi Gokajou is born; Satomi Watanabe competes at the Sapporo Winter Olympics, here she meets Hikaru Ichimonji, a schoolteacher

1973—Hikaru Ichimonji and Satomi Watanabe marry.

1974—Satsuki and Kenichi Gokajou are born; Mutsuki Ichimonji is born; Yayoi Sanzenin is born; Takahiro Kobayashi is born

1975—Kisaragi Ninomai is born; Kanna Togakushi is born; Yumiko Nakamura is born

1976—Takashi Suzuki is born; Shizuka Inoue is born

1977—Makoto Gokajou is born; Uzuki Shitennou is born; Susumu Arisaka is born

1980—Hiroto Gokajou retires from active competition to focus on training new wrestlers

1981—Hazuki Yazakura is born

1984—Tomoki Gokajou is born

1985—Chitose Hitotose and Fumitsuki Nanakarobi are born

1988—Minazuki Rokumatsuri is born

1991—The "incident" that happened between Takahiro and Mutsuki

1992—Mutsuki, Yayoi, and Satsuki graduate from their respective high schools; Sachiko Gokajou dies

1993—Kisaragi and Kanna graduate from their high school

1995—Uzuki Shitennou graduates from her high school

1999—Momoe Gokajou (Kazu's daughter) is born (don't worry, you'll meet her later)

2001—Mutsuki, Satsuki, Uzuki, Yayoi, and Kisaragi move in with Chitose Hitotose and become his mothers. Soon afterwards, Chitose is reunited with his adopted sisters, Hazuki and Minazuki.

Yes, some of the characters you see during the Kyoto sequence are based on the main characters of "Ai Yori Aoshi." I don't own that, either.

I also don't own "The Three Musketeers."

Oh, and as a bonus, here's a sneak peak of "Psychiatry Visits." This is Chitose talking to Dr. Yamamoto about the "Spirit of Misfortune" incident.

_Next thing I know, she rips my clothes off, drags me over to the bathroom. I'm still tied up, by the way, and she douses me in ice…cold…water. I nearly caught pneumonia. Then, she drags me over to her bedroom, writes all these kanji all over my nude body. She hangs me from the ceiling, and drops candle wax down my butt. And then, she drags me outside and rubs salt all over my body, especially my private areas. I end up in some kind of salt statue, and I'm stuck in there overnight. The next morning, Mama Mutsuki comes into the backyard to take out the garbage and I burst out of the statue. She sees me naked as starts freaking out. I didn't see her because all I could think about was how I was going to stop making Yayoi from making my life worse than it already was at that moment. When I do finally notice Mama Mutsuki, I, of course, freak out myself, so I quickly ran into the house and got some clothes on. That was the most embarrassing day of my entire live, and I have never forgiven Mama Yayoi for it._


	7. Dinner Time

Disclaimer: I do not own "Happy Lesson," its characters or concepts.

I'm surprised to notice that people haven't been asking about "Ultimate Boxing." Well, I'm going to warn you all that people that "Ultimate Boxing" is going to referenced many times during this story, and a lot of people will be confused. Again, don't hesitate to ask questions about "UB."

And now, as Mills Lane always says, "Let's get it on!"

* * *

Back at the Gokajou house, everyone was sitting at the table for dinner. Going clockwise, Hiroto was sitting at the end of the table, followed by Tommy, Mako, Keni, Chitose, Satsuki, Daichi, and Kazu. 

"All right!" Daichi said as he took his seat. "Time for some serious grub." As he was about to eat the foot on the table, Hiroto stopped him.

"Hold it!" Hiroto said as Dai had his hands on a piece of his food. "We're going to say Grace first."

"Works fine by me," Tommy said. He then put his hands together in prayer. "Itadakimasu!" He was about to eat, when…

"Freeze!" Tommy then put his food down as soon as he father shouted. "We're going to do this properly." He then saw Keni about to eat prematurely as well. "Kenichi! Down. Down. Down," he said as Keni set his food back on his plate. "Everyone hold hands and bow your heads." Everyone did so, as Hiroto led the prayer.

"Lord, we thank you for the gifts that we are about to receive. We thank you for protecting our family as we gather for our reunion. We ask that you bless our new brother, Chitose Hitotose. Protect him and guide him on his journey. We ask that you watch over those of our extended families. Protect them and guide them on their journey as well. Amen."

"Amen."

"_Now_ you can eat," Hiroto said. The family then started eating their dinner. During the prayer, Chitose had glanced at both sides of the table, seeing Keni and Tommy nervously shaking, anxious to eat, and Satsuki blushing intensely. Chitose then spoke up.

"Mr. Gokajou, I'm curious. Are you Christian?" he asked.

"Yes, Chitose. I am," Hiroto simply said. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"No, sir, I don't," Chitose said, somewhat intimidated, "I was just curious. I read a book on different type of religions once."

"Oh," Hiroto said. "All right. Well, don't be afraid to ask any of us any questions, Chitose." And with that, they resumed eating.

* * *

In Kyoto, the four members of the Cosplay Group were sitting an a restaurant, waiting for their food. 

"Come on! I'm hungry!" Shizuka said.

"Relax, Shizuka," Suzuki said. "It will be here in a moment."

"But I'm hungry NOW!"

"Didn't you get plenty to eat in the alleyway earlier?" Uzuki asked with a smirk on her face.

"Don't ever mention that, again!" Yumiko said. "If you do, I will remove your eyelashes one…by…one."

"Okay," Uzuki said, somewhat intimidated. At that moment, their food finally arrived at their table. But before they could eat, they, of course, had to say Grace.

"Everybody say Grace," Suzuki said.

"Bless us, O Lord…" Yumiko started.

"GRACE!" Everyone else shouted, before pigging out.

"Why do I even bother?" Yumiko asked herself before joining in the festivities.

* * *

Back at the mountain cabin, Yayoi and Susumu were enjoying their dinner, which Yayoi had cooked to the best of her ability. Despite this, Susumu didn't really eat much, as he kept staring at Yayoi and turning away when she looked at him. 

"Are you all right, Mr. Arisama?" Yayoi asked.

"Uh, sure, Yayoi," Susumu said uneasily. "I'm fine." He then resumed eating, much to Yayoi's confusion.

_Something is definitely wrong with that man,_ Yayoi thought to herself as she started eating again.

* * *

Back at the secret island, Kisaragi and Kanna were playing Monopoly (the American version), and like always, Kisaragi was kicking ass. 

"Aw, you beat me again!" Kanna said. "Can we please stop playing games now?" Just then, the doorbell rang. "Saved by the bell."

"That must be the pizza," Kisaragi said. "Stay right here, Kanna. I'll get it." She then got out of her seat and headed towards the front door. Kanna tried to follow her, but couldn't get out of her chair. She soon found out that she was completely strapped into her chair. She then noticed a piece of paper falling in front of her.

"Restraining Chair, Version 2.1," Kanna said. She then started crying again. "Not again!"

Meanwhile, at the 'front door,' Kisaragi was greeting the pizza man, who had their dinner with them.

"Okay, I've got an extra-large pizza, with pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers, anchovies, pineapples, olives, onions, green eggs, and ham."

"Is it swimming in vinegar?" Kisaragi asked.

"Yes, it is," the pizza boy said.

"Delicious," Kisaragi said.

"That'll be 3,675 yen," he said. Kisaragi gave him four 1,000-yen bills.

"Keep the change, you filthy animal," she said as she took the pizza and shut the door behind her.

"Cheap bitch," he said out loud.

Back inside, Kisaragi set the pizza down on the table.

"Oh, my God! You got pizza?" Kanna said.

"Yes," Kisaragi said.

"Oh, goody-goody-goody! What's on it?"

"Pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers, anchovies, pineapples, olives, onions, green eggs, and ham…plus it's swimming in vinegar," Kisaragi said. Kanna's face immediately faulted.

"I had to ask," she said, watery-eyed again.

* * *

Back at the home town, our lovely trio are now eating at Gonzales Mexicanese Restaurant, owned by Raul. Minazuki was eating soundly, Fumitsuki had barely touched her food, while Hazuki was basically eating and eating.

"Are you going to finish that?" Hazuki asked Fumitsuki.

"Yes, I am," Fumitsuki said, as she ate a piece of her food. She then clutched her chest in pain.

"Are you okay?" Hazuki asked. Fumitsuki then drank a glass of her water, then sighed.

"I'm fine," Fumitsuki simply replied. One of the waiters, Rafael, walked up to the table.

"Are you okay, _Senorita_?" Rafael asked Fumitsuki.

"I'm fine," Fumitsuki said. "Just some chest pains."

"Thought so," Rafael said. He then turned to another waiter, "Pablo, _consigue a esta chica algún antiácido_." The teenager (Pablo) then went off to get whatever he told him.

"Excuse me…Rafael," Minazuki said as she read his nametag.

"_¿Si?_"

"What exactly did you tell him to do?"

"I told him to get the young lady some antacid," Rafael said. At that moment, Pablo arrived with some antacid tablets.

"Here you go, _Senorita_," Pablo said as he handed Fumitsuki the tablets. "Be sure to chew them before you swallow them." Fumitsuki nodded before taking them.

"Is there anything else any of you need?" Rafael asked the three girls. Fumitsuki simply shooke her head no.

"Yeah," Hazuki said. "I'd like some more of that Mexican sushi, please."

"Of course, _Senorita_," Rafael said. "Anything else?"

"Uh, I have a question." Minazuki said.

"_¿Si?_"

"Do you think you could teach me some Spanish one day?" Mina asked, blushing a little.

"What's your name, Senorita?" Rafael asked.

"Minazuki."

"Well, Minazuki, I'll have to talk to my _hermano_ about it, but I could teach you when I get off of work, and you get out of school," Rafael said. "What school do you go to, anyways?"

"Koyomi Academy," Mina said.

"Well, we'll talk more about this after I get your _hermana's_ order," Rafael said. "Uh, what did you order again?" he asked Hazuki.

"I told you, Mexican sushi," Hazuki said.

"_Gracias_. I had to make absolutely sure," Rafael said. He then walked over to the kitchen, where he gave the order to the chef. As he was about to check on another table, another man, who was his older brother Raul, tapped him on the shoulder.

"_¿Debemos ser permitidos realmente nosotros que esa mujer come tanto aquí?_" Raul asked. (Should we really be letting that woman be eating so much here?)

"_Por supuesto es, el hermano mayor. Además, es bueno para el negocio_," Rafael responded. (Of course it is, big brother. Besides, it's good for business)

"_Podemos cerrar en la tasa que ella come_," Raul responded (We may go out of business at the rate she's eating.)

"_Relájese apenas, Raul_," Rafael said as he patted his brother on the shoulder, then picked up Hazuki's order. (Just relax, Raul.)

* * *

Back at the Gokajou residence, the family and guest were enjoying their meal and having dinner conversation. 

"So, Saki," Keni asked, "how did you meet Chitose?"

"Huh?" Satsuki wasn't really paying attention. "Did you say something, Keni?"

"I wanted to know how you met Chitose," Keni said.

"I think we all do," Daichi said.

"Well, uh…" Satsuki was blushing a little, to embarrassed to tell her family how she met Chitose.

"Did you two meet at a mixed bath or something?" Tommy asked.

"NO!" Satsuki said, blushing heavily. Chitose gave Tommy an evil glare.

"Okay, so you didn't," Tommy said. "Did you guys meet at the gym?"

"You…could say that," Chitose said.

"Really," Tommy said. Keni then tapped Chitose on the shoulder.

"I just thought of something," Keni said.

"What?" Chitose was feeling real nervous now.

"Satsuki's your teacher, isn't she?"

"WHAT?!" All the other male Gokajou family members exclaimed.

"Is this true, Saki?" Hiroto asked. Satsuki simply bowed her head in shame, still blushing.

"I didn't want to tell you guys," Satsuki said, starting to cry. "I knew you would all hate me if I told you I was dating one of my students."

"Satsuki, we don't hate you," Kazu said. He then turned to his father. "Do we?"

"Of course not," Hiroto said. "But it seems that the subject is a little uncomfortable for Satsuki, so we shall not discuss it any further. Agreed?"

"Agreed," all the brothers said. They all then resumed with their meal.

"Hey, Daichi," Chitose called out.

"Yeah?"

"Satsuki told me that you've been to Vegas," Chitose said.

"Yeah, I've been to Vegas," Daichi said. "I've also been to Atlantic City, Reno, Tahoe, Monte Carlo, Macau, Hong Kong…the list just goes on and on. Which reminds me, I'll have to show you all my souvenirs from my last trip to America."

"Great," Kazu said sarcastically. Soon, Mako spoke up.

"You ever play dominoes, Chitose?" Mako asked.

"Well, when we were younger, Hazuki, Mina, and I would stack dominoes…"

"Not that, Chitose. I meant _dominoes_," Mako said. "I'm talking double-six, double-nine, block, draw, forty-two."

"I don't think I have, now that I think about it," Chitose said.

"Remind me to teach you when I have a chance," Mako said. "Which reminds me, did you bring the bones, Kaz?"

"Of course I did," Kazu said. "I haven't unpacked them, yet. Do you want to play dominoes with us sometime, Saki?"

"Well, I haven't played in a while, so I might be a little rusty," Satsuki said.

"It's official," Daichi said. "The Gokajou Family Domino Games are back!"

"I might want to join in some time," Hiroto said.

"There's always a seat open for you, pops," Mako said. "One thing, Chitose. Watch out for Tommy. He is one hell of a domino player."

"Thank you for telling me," Chitose said as he resumed eating.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Hokkaido, dinner was a little quiet at the Ichimonji Ranch. Mutsuki had hardly touched her food, while Takahiro had finished his second helping. 

"I got up so late this morning that I skipped breakfast," Takahiro said. He then turned to Mutsuki. "So, Mutsuki…how have you been all these years?"

"Mother, may I please be excused?" Mutsuki asked, with a bit of anger in her voice.

"Absolutely not," Satomi said. "Besides, you haven't touched your food yet. Now eat it before it gets cold." Reluctantly, Mutsuki began eating her food. As the family continued eating, a little conversation began.

"So, Taky," Hikaru said, "I notice that your hand is wrapped up." He then pointed out the bandage on Takahiro's left hand. "What's up with that?"

"Oh, that was from last night," Takahiro said. "I asked one of the delivering moms to squeeze my hand, and well…you know the rest."

"You know, you didn't look like you were in pain when you peeked into the women's bath," Mutsuki said. Satomi then glared at Takahiro.

"You peeked into the women's bath?" Satomi said.

"Relax, Mrs. Ichimonji," Taky said. "She was covering herself with a towel, and when she wasn't, I was closing my eyes the entire time. But I did peek a bit…just to make sure she was covered up."

"Well, that explains it all," Hikaru said. "Everything's all right now."

"Everything is not all right, _father_," Mutsuki said with a bit of an attitude. "Why did he have to invite himself here anyway?"

"Well, Mutsuki," Hikaru said, with a bit of anger in his voice. "Whether you like it or not, Dr. Kobayashi happens to be one of my closest friends. And if I remember correctly, the two of you were very good friends as well. What I'm trying to say is, Mu-chan, the incident happened te…eleven years ago. I've moved on, your mother has moved on, Dr. Kobayashi has moved on, practically every member of your class has moved on."

"And I'll bet you a five-yen coin that Yayoi has moved on as well," Taky said. Mutsuki didn't say anything. All she did was stand up, walk towards Takahiro, and punch him right in the face! The impact sent him out of the chair and onto the floor. She was about to hit him again when Hikaru got out of his seat, and grabbed her, forcing her to face him. He was angrier than perhaps he had ever been.

"WHAT IN THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Hikaru screamed at his daughter. Mutsuki was crying, but she didn't look him in the eyes. Hikaru then forced her to look him directly in the eye. "You may have graduated from high school, you may have graduated from college, you might be a teacher at your alma mater, but you are acting like a child." Mutsuki then gasped at that, then started bawling as she ran back to her room. Hikaru then looked at his hands at shock. "What have I done?" At that moment, Satomi tried to help Takahiro up, but he simply brushed her off.

"I'll be alright, Mrs. Ichimonji," Taky said. He then walked up to Hikaru. "Are you all right, Sensei?"

"I'll be fine, Takahiro," Hikaru said, before sighing. "If you will both excuse me." Hikaru then left the dining room to calm himself down.

"I shouldn't have come here," Taky said to Satomi, who was clearing the table.

"Oh, no, Dr. Kobayashi," Satomi said. "Neither of us knew that Mutsuki was still bitter about what happened all those years ago. It took me a while to forgive you myself, you know."

"Yeah," Taky said. "Would you like me to help you?"

"Oh, yes, please," Satomi said. Takahiro then started helping her with the table.

"Mrs. Ichimonji?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think Mutsuki will ever grow up?" he asked her.

"Well, she is grown up, Takahiro," Satomi said. "But you and Karu are right. She was acting very childish this evening. But that's not what you wanted to know, was it?"

Chuckling, Takahiro said, "You're right, Mrs. Ichimonji." He then had a grim look on his face. "I just wonder if she'll ever forgive me."

"She will, Takahiro," Satomi said. "I don't know when, but she'll forgive you someday."

* * *

Back at the Gokajou mansion, dinner was over, and Kazu was helping Satsuki and Hiroto clear the table and do the dishes. In the living room, Mako had brought a large book into the room. 

"Found it," Mako said as he put it onto the coffee table.

"What is it?" Chitose asked.

"It's one of our family albums," Daichi said. "Which reminds me, I need to get those souvenirs out of our room, Mak." Daichi then went to his and Mako's room. It was actually Mako's room, as Daichi's and several of the guest rooms were being renovated. Chitose was now looking through the album, and found an interesting photo.

"Hey, isn't this Tokyo Disneyland?" Chitose asked. Mako then stood next to him.

"Yep," Mako said. "We were there the first day it opened. Tommy wasn't born yet, though."

"Satsuki went to Tokyo Disneyland?"

"Yep."

"She never told me that," Chitose said.

"Really?" Mako said. "Well, I do know this. This was one of the few times we were able to get Mama-san to come with us."

"Wow!" At that moment, Satsuki and Kazu entered the room.

"Looking through the old photo album?" Kazu asked.

"Mm-hmm," Mako said. He then found another interesting photo. "Hey, Saki, come have a look at this." Satsuki then took a look at the photograph. It was a picture of her, Keni, Daichi, and Kazu as kids holding a HUGE fish on a dock.

"Whoa, baby!" Satsuki was definitely surprised. "I remember this!"

"Where was that from, Satsuki?" Chitose asked.

"That was from our fishing trip in Okinawa," Satsuki said. "Keni had hooked a fish, but it took him, Daichi, Kazu, and myself to reel it in. That was a long time ago."

"Back in…1980 if I'm not mistaken," Kazu said. "I was 10, Dai was 8, Saki and Keni were six, and Mako was three. That was also the year dad stopped wrestling full-time."

"Really?" Chitose asked.

"Yep," Satsuki said. At that moment, Daichi and Tommy entered the room, both carrying stuff.

"So, what's in the bag, Dai?" Mako asked.

"Souvenirs from my last trip to Las Vegas," Daichi said as he emptied the contents of the bag on the couch. "Here's one from Tropicana, Excalibur, MGM, New York-New York, Bellagio, Bally's, Caesars Palace, Flamingo, Imperial Palace, Mirage, Harrah's, Treasure Island, Circus Circus, Riviera, Sahara, Four Queens, Fremont, Golden Nugget, Binion's Horseshoe, and the Golden Gate, to name a few."

"That's practically every casino in Las Vegas," Satsuki said.

"Give-or-take," Daichi said.

"Whoa!" Chitose said. He then picked up a deck of playing cards from Caesars Palace. "Can I borrow these?"

"Borrow them?" Daichi said. "Man, you can have them! In fact, you guys can have any one thing you want from there, but don't take the MGM Grand mugs. Those are for some of my poker buddies."

"Cool, man," Mako said as he picked up a snow globe from the Excalibur. He started shaking it. "Whoa! Keni'll definitely like this. Where is he, by the way?"

"Probably smoking outside again," Kazu said. "I swear, if he keeps this up, he's going to end up like Mom."

"All right," Mako said. "Might as well show it to him, anyway." Mako then left the room to go outside. Chitose then stared at Tommy, who was still holding his box.

"I'm almost afraid to ask what's in the box," Chitose said.

"Oh, come on, Chi," Tommy said. "You know what's in the box."

"No, I don't," Chitose said. Then, he had a realization of what was in the box, so did Kazu, Daichi, and Satsuki. "Wait a minute…you don't mean those are the…" But before he could finish, Kazu tacked Tommy onto the ground, causing the box to fly out of his hands and into Daichi's.

"Saki, catch!" Daichi then tossed the box to Satsuki.

"NO!" Tommy screamed.

"I'm going to go burn these in one of the fireplaces," Satsuki said as she left the room. Chitose had a surprised look on his face, then turned to see Tommy still struggling against Kazu.

"Come on, Kaz! Let me go!" Tommy said.

"No way!" Kazu said. "I'm enjoying this." He then started twisting Tommy's ankle, almost like Kurt Angle applying the Ankle Lock to one of his opponents.

"Those aren't the pictures of Satsuki!" Tommy screamed. Kazu then let go of his Tommy's leg.

"If those aren't the naked pictures of Satsuki," Kazu said, "then _what_ are they?"

"They were naked pictures," Tommy said, while rubbing his sore leg. "But they were of Satsuki's high school classmates."

"You took naked pictures of Saki's classmates?" Daichi asked, with a disgusted look on his face.

"Yes," Tommy said. "Her nude pictures are in a well-hidden place where no one can find it."

"Under the bed," Kazu and Daichi said. They both then ran off towards Tommy's room.

"Wait a minute!" Tommy tried to follow them, but was limping heavily due to Kazu having applied the hold on his leg for an extended period. Chitose had that shocked look on his face again, just as Mako and Keni entered the room.

"Did we miss the party?" Mako asked.

"Kind of," Chitose said. He then yawned and stretched, as it had been a busy day for him. "I think I'm going to bed now."

"Already?" Keni asked. He then checked his watch. "It's only 1:30." Mako then looked at Keni's watch, which was upside down.

"It's seven o'clock, Chitose," Mako said. "Keni's wearing his watch upside-down again." Keni then slapped himself on his forehead.

"Why do I keep doing that?" he asked.

"But seriously, Chitose, you're going to bed right now?" Mako asked. "We were going to watch some of our Ultimate Boxing tapes."

"Well, it's been a pretty exhausting day for me," Chitose said. "Besides, I have plenty of time to hang out with you guys later on." At that moment, Keni simply gave Chitose a hard embrace.

"Good night, Chitose!" Keni said, almost crying. "We're going to miss you, buddy."

"Ah!" Chitose felt Keni's breath, which wasn't good. "You have _definitely_ been smoking." Chitose then coved his mouth then walked towards Satsuki's room. He made sure to wave at Mako and Keni before leaving.

"Well, see you," Mako said. He then gave Keni another stick of gum.

"You already gave me a piece, man," Keni said.

"I know," Mako said. "Chew another one."

Chitose had just reached Satsuki's room just as Satsuki reached the room as well.

"Satsuki!"

"Do you mind if I go in and change first?" Satsuki asked. "I'm going to go to the exercise room and work out."

"Oh, okay," Chitose said as he let Satsuki by and go into her room to change. While Chitose was waiting for the door to open, Kazu and Daichi walked by. "Hey, guys."

"Hey, Chitose," Daichi said.

"Where are you guys going?" Chitose asked.

"We're going to watch some Ultimate Boxing with Keni and Mako," Kazu said. "Do you want to join us?"

"Thanks, but no thanks," Chitose said. "I'm kind of tired, and I probably want to go to bed."

"Well, that's a bummer," Daichi said. He then walked over to the door and knocked on it.

"Who is it?" Satsuki asked from inside.

"It's Daichi. Hey, Saki, do you want to watch some Ultimate Boxing with us?" Satsuki then opened the door, revealing that she was wearing a black crop top, black spandex shorts, and had a pair of tennis shoes in her hand. She was barefoot, by the way.

"Actually, I was going to the exercise room for a bit, and then I was going to the pool house," Satsuki said.

"Oh, okay," Daichi said. "Just thought we'd ask."

"Are you sure you don't want to watch Ultimate Boxing with us?" Kazu asked Chitose.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Chitose said before yawning a little.

"By the way, Saki," Daichi sand as he tossed her a box, "since you're on your way to the exercise room, could you swing by a fireplace and toss that in there?"

"What's in the box?" Satsuki asked with a bit of suspicion.

"You know those pictures you tossed into one of the fireplaces?" Daichi asked. Satsuki nodded. "Those were actually nude pictures of your classmates."

"And the nude pictures of me…"

"Are in that box," Kazu said.

"That little twerp," Satsuki said. "I'm going to beat him into submission."

"No need for that, Saki," Kazu said. "He's taking a little nap in his room right now." He gave Satsuki a wink as he said that.

"Oh, okay," Satsuki said.

"Well, we'll see you guys later," Daichi said. "Come on, Kaz. I want to see some UB." Daichi then ran off towards the TV room.

"Not without me you're not," Kazu said as he went and followed him. That left Satsuki and Chitose by themselves.

"I'm going to go to bed, Satsuki," Chitose said.

"Are you sure about that, Chitose?" Satsuki asked. "I mean, we just got here."

"Well, to be honest, Satsuki, today was kind of draining," Chitose admitted. "I haven't really gotten a chance to relax by myself yet today."

"I see, Chitose," Satsuki said. "Well, in case you're not awake by the time I'm done with my workout, I'll see you in the morning. Good night, Chitose."

"Good night, Satsuki," Chitose replied as he gave her a hug. Chitose then went into the bedroom and shut the door behind him.

_He hugged me again_, Satsuki thought to herself, before shaking it off. She needed to get into the exercise room and workout…but first she had to burn the contents of the box she was holding.

* * *

Notes: Well, that's the end of that chapter. As a tease for chapter eight, Chitose inadvertently blurts his secret to one of the brothers, Mutsuki spills her guts to her mother, Uzuki tells the other Cosplay Group members about her family, Yayoi and Susumu (finally) go on their spiritual journey, Fumitsuki tries to survive staying with Hazuki and Mina, and Kisaragi is still driving Kanna crazy. 

The "Grace" scene with the Cosplay Group is based on a scene from the 1991 movie "Hook." It was one of my favorite moments of the entire film.

I have also added the profiles of Raul and Rafael Gonzales, the two Mexican brothers that run the Gonzales Mexicanese Restaurant.

Now, a number of people have been asking about the incident involving Mutsuki Ichimonji and Takahiro Kobayashi. Well, in a little sneak peak from "A Happy Lesson Christmnas," Taky explains to Chitose about 'the incident.'

_Well, Chitose, this whole damn thing started back when Mutsuki and I were seniors in high school. I was on the wrestling team in those days, and I was also dating Miss Ichimonji, who happened to be the class president. Did you know that, Chitose? _Chitose shook his head. _Well, anyways, some of my teammates decided to throw a party, because they were all party animals, but none of our parents wanted them to hold a party at their houses. Now, when we heard that Mutsuki's parents were going to be out of town for the weekend, you can only guess what was going to happen next. _Chitose said that they were going to have the party at her place, and that that was the reason she was mad at him. _Are you kidding me, Chitose? I haven't even gotten there yet. Anyways, it's the night of the party. We're all having a good time, even Mutsuki, when one of the wrestling guys sneaks in some bottles of sake that he stole from his dad's store. _Chitose was shocked at that. _Oh, it gets better. Within fifteen minutes, all the team members were wasted, myself excluded, because I knew better. However, the guys forced me into drinking some, so I had a glass…then another…and another. With five minutes, I drank 14 glasses of sake. Fourteen glasses. Now, what happened next is a little foggy, but from what other people told me, I dragged Mutsuki into her bedroom, and started disrobing her. _Chitose was even more shocked at that. _I can't remember what else happened that night, but when I woke up the next morning, I had a hangover the size of the Andre the Giant, I was still in Mutsuki's room, and I was naked as the day I was born. Next thing I knew, I was thrown out onto the street, still naked, with my clothes being tossed out soon afterwards. A few days later, her father talked to me in private after class, and said that Mutsuki was traumatized after what happened that night, but surprisingly, did not lose her virginity. Despite that news, I still felt very bad about what happened that night, and tried desperately to apologize to her for the rest of the school year. She didn't even want to see me, much less talk to me, and she used for father to tell me that we were through. I spent the next eleven years trying to get Mutsuki to forgive me. Almost everyone else has moved on…but not Miss Ichimonji. I want you know, Chitose, that the VERY LAST THING I would want to do is hurt your mother._


	8. Finding Out, Part I

Disclaimer: I do not own "Happy Lesson," its characters or concepts.

Well, here's chapter number eight. Before I get into this, I must warn you that reader discretion is advised for the following chapter, because there will be a rather…graphic scene the occurs during this chapter. Just thought I'd warn ya.

* * *

Later that night, Hikaru Ichimonji was knocking on the door to his daughter's room.

"Mutsuki," he started to say, "You owe an apology to your mother for walking out on dinner without excusing yourself. You also owe an apology to Dr. Kobayashi for punching him in the face." Mutsuki was in her room, laying on her bed. She was still crying, and her glasses were on a nightstand. "You embarrassed your parents in front of company, but you mainly embarrassed me in front of one of my good friends." He then sighed and took a moment to compose himself. "When you're ready to apologize, you can come out." He then walked away from the door and down the hall. Mutsuki didn't respond to her father. She just keep crying. In the hall, Hikaru ran into his wife.

"Are you okay?" Satomi asked.

"I have never been so angry at her in my entire life," Hikaru said. "You saw what she did out there, right?"

"Hikaru, calm yourself," Satomi said. "You know what this can do to your blood pressure."

Sighing, Hikaru then said, "You're right…as always." He then chuckled a little, then sighed again. "What in the world am I going to do?"

"Well, for starters, you can talk to Dr. Kobayashi," Satomi said. "After what just happened, he's thought about leaving Sapporo and moving somewhere else."

"Leave Sapporo?"

"Yes," Satomi said. "Why don't you let me to talk to Mutsuki?"

"I don't know, Tomi," Hikaru said. "She hasn't left her bedroom since she ran out on dinner. She didn't even acknowledge me when I was outside of her room."

"Well, at this moment, what Mutsuki really needs is a mother's touch," Satomi said. Chuckling, Hikaru kissed his wife on the cheek.

"Once again, you're right," he said. "Well, see you later…mommy."

"Oh, stop!" Satomi said as she playfully shoved her husband. They both went their separate directions, with Hikaru going to the living room, and Tomi going to Mutsuki's bedroom. She then knocked on the bedroom door. "Mu-chan?" She then opened the door and peeked inside. Mutsuki was still crying into her pillow. Satomi then walked over to her daughter, and started comforting her. "It's okay, Mutsuki. Mama's here." At that moment, Mutsuki turned herself around and, although her vision was somewhat blurry by her not wearing her contacts, she immediately recognized who was in the room.

"Mommy?" Mutsuki said, still a bit teary-eyed.

"Yes, Mu-chan. I'm here," Satomi said in a soothing voice. She then pulled Mutsuki close to her and started comforting her again. "Now, tell me what's wrong."

"I don't know what's wrong with me," Mutsuki said. "I hate him…and yet deep down, there's a small part of me that wants me to forgive him."

"He's really sorry for what happened, Mu-chan," Satomi said. "I know you're upset, but you really need to talk to each other."

"I can't see him mama…I just can't," Mutsuki said, getting teary again.

"Mutsuki Ichimonji, sooner or later, the two of you will have to talk to each other and settle this," Satomi said. "Whether you like it or not, Dr. Kobayashi and your father happen to be very good friends, and he doesn't want his relationships between either of you to become strained."

"I…"

"Don't worry…you don't have to talk to them now," Satomi said before kissing her daughter on her forehead. "Now, there's something else bothering you, isn't there?"

"Yes, there is," Mutsuki said, wiping her face a little. "But I don't think I should tell you."

"Come on, Mu-chan," Satomi said. "You used to tell me everything, no matter if it was a good thing or a bad thing."

"Well…you might find this a little shocking," Mutsuki said, before clearing her head and sighing. "I'm a mother."

"WHAT?!"

After a few minutes, Satomi calmed herself down as Mutsuki reluctantly told her mother about Chitose, the other teacher-moms, and their situation.

"So, let me get this straight," Satomi said. "You…and four other teachers moved in with this student named Chitose and decided to become his mother."

"Yes," Mutsuki said ashamedly.

"Because both of his parents were deceased and he was failing his classes?"

"Yes," Mutsuki couldn't bear to look at her mother after telling her the whole story.

"Mutsuki, look at me," Satomi had a semi-stern look in her voice. Mutsuki reluctantly looked at her mom again. "I really don't know what to think of this, but you _will_ have to tell your father about this sooner or later."

"WHAT?!"

"I mean it, Mutsuki," Satomi said. "I don't know how he's going to react, but remember that your father loves you very much, and the last thing he wants is for you two to become strained because of all of this."

"Well…"

"At least sleep on it," Satomi said. She finally let go of her daughter and started to leave the room. "We'll talk more in the morning." She opened the door and was about to leave when she turned back around. "You should also talk to Dr. Kobayashi."

"I'll try," Mutsuki said.

"Okay," Satomi said. "Well, good night, Mu-chan." She was about to leave again, but turned back. "One more thing…is Yayoi one of the teachers that became the boy's mother?"

"Yes," Mutsuki said, somewhat embarrassed.

"That's all I want to know," Satomi said. "Good night, Mu-chan."

"Good night, Mommy," Mutsuki said as Satomi left the room. She then relaxed on her bed, somewhat uneasily.

_I just don't know anymore_, Mutsuki thought to herself as she started to fall asleep.

* * *

Back in Kyoto, at the Warehouse, the Cosplayers were relaxing—Suzuki was playing poker with some random guys that were auditioning to become Cosplay Group members, Yumiko was watching television, trying to come up with new ideas for their performances, and Shizuka was reading a dirty magazine. Uzuki, in the meantime, was taking a shower in a nearby bathhouse.

"So, what do you got?" Suzuki asked.

"Three kings," a guy wearing a red baseball cap backwards, the Paperboy, said.

"Hah! Straight, 9 to 5," Suzuki showed his cards.

"Damn it! He won another one," a guy dressed as a United States Naval Seaman said.

"What can I say? I'm a master at the poker table," Suzuki said.

"If you're so good, man, why don't you go to the World Series of Poker?" a guy dressed as a bum asked.

"I'm not wasting ten thousand bucks so that I can get my ass kicked by 500 other people," Suzuki simply replied.

"Okay, okay! I was just asking," the 'bum' said. At that moment, Uzuki entered the 'room,' wearing hair wrappers over her twin buns, wearing a yukata, and carrying a towel.

"I'm back!" Uzuki said.

"Hey, Uzuki," Yumiko said, who was channel surfing, trying to come up with new ideas for the performances. "The boss is in his 'office'." Yumiko was using 'quotation fingers' when she said 'office.'

"Thanks, Yumi," Uzuki said as she went over to the 'office.'

In the 'office,' Suzuki was continuing to kick rear end in various poker games.

"I'm out," the bum said.

"I've got two pairs: Jacks and Kings," the Paperboy said . "What have you got?"

"All diamonds," Suzuki said.

"Damn it! He did it again!" the U.S. Navy guy exclaimed.

"Come to papa," Suzuki said as he took the contents of the pot towards him. Just then, Uzuki entered the office, using the door, of course.

"Excuse me…" All the guys stopped what they were doing and stared at her.

"Yes, Miss Shitennou?" Suzuki said.

"I think it's time that we…you know," Uzuki said, winking at him.

"What do you mean, Miss…oh! I know what you mean, my sister from another mother," Suzuki said, realizing what she was talking about. "Everyone out. Now!"

"Are you sure about that, man?" the bum asked.

"Yes," Suzuki said. "Now BEAT IT!" All three men left the table. Suzuki then stopped the Paperboy from leaving. "Hey, where's my thousand yen?" Reluctantly, the Paperboy took a 1,000-yen bill out of his wallet, and set it on the table. "Thank you." The Paperboy then left. He then turned to Uzuki. "You may want to change first."

"Good idea," Uzuki said.

About ten minutes later, Uzuki was fully dressed, and both she and Suzuki walked out of the 'office' and into the 'main room.'

"Ladies and…ladies, we have a big surprise for you all," Suzuki said.

"No," Yumiko simply said.

"No, what?" Suzuki was confused.

"No, I am not dressing up as Conan Edogawa again," Yumiko said. She remembered the last time she dressed up as the pint-sized detective from Detective Conan/Case Closed, which ended with Shizuka (dressed as Ran Mori/Rachel Moore) fondling her…again.

"I wasn't going to say that, but I'll have to remember that for next time," Suzuki said. "What I was going to say what that Sister Uzuki has something to say to all of you. Uzuki?" At that moment, Uzuki stepped forward and showed the family photo to the other female Cosplayers.

"Who are all these people, Uzuki?" Yumiko asked.

"They're my family," Uzuki simply said. "You already know about Chitose. The two girls next to him are his sisters, and everyone else are his mothers."

"Mothers? As in more than one?" Shizuka asked, a little shocked at what Uzuki just said.

"Well, I might as well explain," Uzuki said. She then explained to the girls how she and the other four teachers became Chitose's mothers.

"Man, that sounds like something out of a bad harem anime," Shizuka said.

"So, who are all these girls?" Yumiko asked.

"Well, that's Mutsuki Ichimonji in the upper left," Uzuki started to explain. "She's kind of the head mom, so to speak. She's also the Japanese Classics teacher at Koyomi High School. Next to her is Yayoi Sanzenin. She's the school nurse, and as you can tell by her wardrobe, is also a miko."

"I thought for a second that she was a Cosplayer as well," Yumiko said.

"Well, moving on. The woman that's upside-down is Kisaragi Ninomai. She's the school's chemistry teacher and she has a secret lab inside our house."

"She creeps me out, and I haven't even met her yet," Suzuki said.

"She creeps pretty much everyone out," Uzuki said. "Over in the bottom right is Satsuki Gokajou. She's the school's PE teacher, and is one _hell_ of an athlete. I've never told her this, but she's like the sister I've never had."

"I thought I was like the sister you've never had," Shizuka said.

"No, you're more like the cousin I never wanted," Uzuki said. "And that's obviously me in the bottom left. Over on Chitose's right is Minazuki. She attends the Koyomi Middle School, right next to Chitose's school."

"That's her little sister?" Yumiko asked.

"Well, they were all adopted," Uzuki said. "And the girl on his left is…"

"Hazuki Yazakura," Shizuka said, with a bit of anger in her voice. Everyone then turned to the bleach-blonde Fukuokan. "I hate that woman. Not just her music…I hate _her_."

"Well, I don't like her music either, but at least I respect her," Suzuki said to Shizuka. "And I believe this is the first time you've admitted that you don't like a woman."

"I don't 'don't like' her. I _hate_ her," Shizuka said. She then sighed. "I'm going to get drunk. See you guys later." She then made her way to the warehouse exit. Suzuki then stared at Yumiko.

"No, I am not going after her," Yumiko said.

"Go after her, or you'll both be expelled from the Cosplay Group," Suzuki said. Yumiko simply growled in response before reluctantly leaving to fetch Shizuka. Suzuki then turned to his 'sister.'

"I'm going to bed. Good night, Uzuki."

"Good night, Suzuki," Uzuki said as he went towards his 'office,' where he slept on a hammock. After making sure no one was looking, she took out a photograph of Chitose and kissed it. "Good night, Chitose."

* * *

At the condo, Fumitsuki was watching one of Hazuki's concerts on DVD. As she was watching, Hazuki (fully clothed) entered the room and sat down next to her.

"Hey, girlfriend," Hazuki said.

"Hey, Hazuki," Fumitsuki said. "Where was this concert held again?"

"Yokohama Arena," Hazuki replied. As they continued watching, Minazuki was walking out of the bathroom wearing a towel around her body. "Hey, Mina, come here."

"Hazuki, I just got out of the shower!" Mina said, blushing while holding onto the towel tightly.

"It'll only take a minute or so, Mina," Hazuki said, patting down at the spot on the couch next to her.

"Can I put some clothes on first?" Mina was nervous about wearing so little in front of a guest.

"Mina…" Hazuki had that sternness in her voice. Sighing, Mina gave up and sat down next to Hazuki. "So, what do you girls want to do tomorrow?"

"I really don't know right now," Fumitsuki said. "Hey, isn't Mina supposed to be at school tomorrow?"

"I got out of school for the next few days thanks to big sister," Mina said.

"You…did?" Fumitsuki had a semi-worried look on her face.

"Yeah," Minazuki said. "Hey, Hazuki, can I please go to my room to change now? I really don't like being out here in a towel."

"Okay, Mina," Hazuki said. "We might as well talk about this tomorrow morning."

"Sure thing, sis," Mina said as she stood off of the couch and went to her room, keeping her hands on the towel in the process. Fumitsuki and Hazuki, in the meantime continued to watch the concert for a little bit.

"I'm going to take my bath now," Fumitsuki said.

"Go right ahead," Hazuki said. "I'm going to watch this for a few minutes, and them I'm going to hit the hay."

"All right then," Fumitsuki said. "Well, good night, Hazuki."

"Night, Mitsuki." Hazuki then saw Fumitsuki get off of the couch and walk towards the bathroom. She then started to doze off a little.

Some time later, Fumitsuki (wearing a towel around her body, and another around her hair) walked into the living room, and noticed that while Hazuki had gone to bed, the TV was still on. She made it her duty to turn off the TV before knocking on Minazuki's bedroom door.

"Who is it?" Minazuki asked.

"It's Fumitsuki. Can I come in?"

"Sure." Fumitsuki then opened the door and entered Mina's room. Mina was wearing her green nightgown and laying on her bed, reading a manga.

"Hey, Mina, could you turn around for a second while I change?" Fumitsuki asked.

"Sure thing, Fumitsuki," Mina said as she turned around, with her back facing Fumitsuki so the class president could change in peace. After a minute or so, Fumitsuki was dressed in her pyjamas.

"You can turn back now." Mina then turned back around so that she could see Fumitsuki just putting on her glasses. "Hey, Minazuki, what is that you're reading?" Fumitsuki asked about the manga Mina was holding.

"Oh, it's something Hazuki got me before she went on tour some time ago," Mina said.

"Can I see it?" Fumitsuki asked.

"Just a sec," Mina said as she put a bookmark at the place she was reading at before handing the manga to Fumitsuki. She then got a good look at the title.

"Hockey Girls," Fumitsuki read out loud. "I don't think I've ever heard of this."

"I asked a librarian shortly after I got it," Mina said. "He said it's a very unique manga because it's targeted at both the male and female audience. It was also made into an anime in the mid-1990s."

"Well, now that you mention it, I think I heard about it once," Fumitsuki said. "One of my classmates mentioned it as the 'original harem manga'."

"Like Tenchi Muyo, Love Hina, and Ai Yori Aoshi?" Mina asked.

"Something like that," Fumitsuki said. "Hey, do you mind if I read this for a bit?"

"Not at all," Mina said. She then took the bookmark out of the book. "I can always re-read it again. Go right ahead." Fumitsuki then flipped through the book to the first page so she could start reading it. Just before she did start reading, she stared at Minazuki.

"Uh, Mina?"

"Yes?"

"I'm just curious," Fumitsuki said, "are you currently wearing any…?" Minazuki simply lifted her nightgown up to her stomach, so that the Class President could see that Mina was wearing a pair of pink panties.

"Does this answer your question?" Mina said.

"Yes, it does," Fumitsuki said, blushing as Mina put her gown down.

"Don't worry," Mina said. "I haven't picked up any of Hazuki's bad habits."

"Thank you for telling me that, Minazuki," Fumitsuki said.

"Well, I'm going to turn out the light now and go to bed," Minazuki said. "If you want to keep reading, you can use the little lamp by the closet." She pointed to a small lamp next to the closet. "Just try not to aim the light at me, okay?"

"Okay," Fumitsuki said.

"Good night, Mitsuki," Mina said.

"Good night, Mina," Fumitsuki said as Mina turned out the light and went to sleep. Fumitsuki then took the lamp, turned it on (away from Mina), and started reading the manga. _This is actually pretty good_, she thought to herself.

* * *

In the Akaishi Mountains, Yayoi and Susumu were about to go on their spiritual journey.

"The forest we are about to go through is totally isolated from the outside world," Susumu said. "Once we go in, we won't be coming back to the cabin for ten days."

"Ten days?" Yayoi asked, with a bit of worried look on her face.

"If you want to back out, now is the time." Susumu warned her.

Yayoi simply shook her head. "I am ready."

"Very well," Susumu said. He then opened the cabin door, which revealed a very foggy forest next to it. Both Yayoi and Susumu were carrying large backpacks, which contained food, water, as well as some matches, a compass, a couple of flashlights, and a sleeping bag. Think of the Spiritual Journey as a bizarre camping trip. As they were walking into the forest, Susumu accidentally tripped and fell into Yayoi. After they landed on the ground, it was discovered that Susumu's head was directly atop Yayoi's breasts.

"Are you all right?" Yayoi asked. As soon as Susumu realized where he was, he jumped up and screamed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine…really," Susumu said. He then helped Yayoi off of the ground and the two of them brushed themselves off. "Yayoi, I am _so_ sorry."

"It's okay…really," Yayoi said, somewhat flirting with him. "So, where do we go now?" Susumu nearly lost it again, but quickly regained himself.

"Uh…that way," Susumu said, pointing in no particular direction. As the two of them went off, Susumu thought to himself, _I am not going to make it through this trip_.

* * *

**_(Friday, July 12, 2002)_**

At the Gokajou family mansion, Chitose was having a bit of trouble sleeping, so he woke up and viewed his surroundings. Satsuki had gone to bed sometime before and was sleeping peacefully. Figuring out that he wasn't going to get back to sleep anytime soon, Chitose decided to go for a walk. He made sure to take his jacket if he decided to go outside, since it was a bit on the mild side. While walking though the house, he encountered Daichi, Keni, and Mako all sleeping in the 'living room,' with Daichi on the floor, Keni in one of the chairs, and Mako laying on the couch. Chitose then tapped Mako on the shoulder.

"Hey," Chitose whispered. Mako, with his hair wildly let loose, opened one of his eyes, which noticed Chitose.

"Yeah?" Mako asked sleepily.

"Do you know where I can find a flashlight?" Chitose asked. Mako then pointed to a nearby drawer.

"Over there," he said as he got up off of the couch and stretched and yawned. "What time is it, man?" Chitose then looked at the clock.

"12:30," Chitose said.

"12:30?" Mako swept his hair back and double-checked his wristwatch. "Whoa!" He then walked up to Daichi and started shaking him. "Wake up, Dai! We fell asleep!"

"Huh?"

"Come on, we've got to get Keni to his room," Mako said as he walked towards the chair in which Keni was sleeping in.

"Yeah, sure thing, man," Daichi said as he got himself up and walked over to the chair. "You know, you interrupted my dream. I was in a hot tub at the Bellagio with Kiyone Makibi from Tenchi Muyo."

"I swear, you're as bad as Tommy sometimes," Mako said.

"I am not!"

"Yes, you are. Now help me get him out of the chair." The two then struggled to get Keni out of the chair.

"Man, you need to lose a few pounds, Kenichi," Daichi said.

"Maybe _you_ need to work out a little more," Mako said.

"I work out plenty, thank you very much," Daichi said as they finally got the unconscious Keni out of the chair and over their shoulders. "This isn't going to be easy."

"Maybe for you. Now lift," Mako said as the two dragged Keni over to his room.

"Hey, thanks again for helping me find the flashlight, Mako," Chitose said.

"No problem," Mako said. "Hey, are you going outside?"

"Yeah," Chitose said. "I'm having trouble sleeping."

"Well, if you see Kazu out there, tell him to get his ass in here," Daichi said. "I'm not dragging this 180-pound man all the way to his room."

"He does not weigh 180 pounds," Mako said.

"Well, he's definitely up there," Daichi said as the two resumed dragging Kenichi Gokajou to his room.

_Definitely a weird family_, Chitose thought to himself. He then left the house.

* * *

Mutsuki found herself backed into a corner by a masked guy brandishing a pocket knife. The man then used the knife to cut open Mutsuki's clothes. Soon, the Japanese Classics teacher was in her pink bra and matching panties. The masked dude then sheathed his knife before forcibly grabbing Mutsuki's glasses and throwing them over his shoulder, causing them to shatter upon landing on the floor. He then unsheathed his knife again, this time cutting off her bra and panties. Mutsuki tried to scream, but a handkerchief was stuffed into her mouth, preventing her from making a sound. The man then removed his mask, revealing himself to be Dr. Takahiro Kobayashi!

"I'm going to enjoy this," he said in a sick, twisted voice before forcing himself upon Mutsuki…

* * *

Mutsuki woke up with a quite a shock from her nightmare, falling out of her bed in the process. She quickly rubbed her head and picked herself up. She took a look at the alarm clock, which read 00:34. She quickly made her bed then laid down in it again. She still had that frightened look on her face.

_I just can't forgive him_, Mutsuki thought to herself. _I can't_. She then shed a tear from her eye.

* * *

Outside of the Gokajou Mansion, Chitose had made his way to the Family Memorial. It took him a minute, but he finally reached the gravesite of one Sachiko Gokajou.

"You don't know who I am, but I know who you are," Chitose said as he put his hand on the headstone. "I don't know what Satsuki said to you earlier, but in my honest opinion, she's a great mother. Maybe not as good as you, but she's pretty good."

"Having trouble sleeping?" Chitose was shocked at the sudden announcement, causing him to fall onto the ground. The man that spoke then walked up to him. It was Kazu, wearing a light jacket, and having contacts instead of glasses on, with his hand extended. "Sorry if I startled you."

"It's okay," Chitose said as Kazu helped him up. "I'm sorry if I disrespected your family."

"That's okay, Chi," Kazu said. "Come. Walk with me. Talk with me." The two then walked over to the view of Tokushima City. The two were walking in silence until Kazu decided to speak up.

"So…what's this I hear about Satsuki being a good mother?" Kazu asked. Chitose was shocked at what he just heard.

"You…overheard me?"

"You know, I talked to Saki just a few days ago, and she didn't say anything about being a mother," Kazu said. "Did you get her pregnant, Hitotose?"

"No! No! Of course not!" Chitose said. "I would never do anything that stupid!"

"Does she have any kids that I don't know about?"

"Well…yes and no," Chitose said.

"Yes and no? What the hell does that mean, Hitotose?" Kazu was getting irritated at Chitose's non-answer. Chitose then sighed heavily.

"I guest I'll have to tell you now," Chitose said. "Satsuki is my mother."

"WHAT?!" Kazu was definitely shocked at what he just heard. "Did I hear that correctly? Satsuki is your mother? Chitose, she's ten years older than you!"

"She's not my biological mother, Kazu," Chitose said.

"I don't believe this," Kazu said. "First, you two say that you're boyfriend and girlfriend, then we find out that she's your gym teacher, and now we find out that she's your mother as well? What the hell is wrong with the two of you?"

"She's not my only mother," Chitose said. "Oops."

"What do you mean, she's not your only mother?" Kazu asked. "And don't give me that 'It's a long story' crap."

"It all started last year," Chitose started to tell his story. "I don't know if you know this, but my parents died when I was very young. Ever since I left the orphanage when I was 16, I went from school to school to school. I was already getting in trouble. I was failing every class. I almost got expelled from the Koyomi High School, but five women came up with this crazy idea to move in with me…not just as teachers, but mothers as well."

"And Satsuki was one of those women?" Kazu asked.

"Yes," Chitose simply said.

"I don't know what to think of this, Chitose," Kazu said. "We'll have to talk more about this later." As Kazu was about to head back into the house, Chitose grabbed him.

"Please…don't tell _anyone_ about this," Chitose said. "If anyone found out about this…"

"Chitose…there's an old Gokajou saying," Kazu said. "And that's 'Family should never keep secrets from each other.' But, I do promise that I won't tell anyone outside of Daichi, Kenichi, Makoto, Tomoki, or Papa-san. And I can assure you that they won't tell anyone as well."

"I don't know…"

"Just sleep on it tonight, Chitose," Kazu said. "It's been a pretty taxing day for all of us…especially you."

"Yeah," Chitose said. "Well, good night, Kazu."

"Good night, Chitose." And with that, the two men went their separate ways.

_I just hope that the other moms don't kill me for what just happened_, Chitose thought to himself.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Secret Island, Kanna was trying to figure out a way to escape from Kisaragi's grasp.

_Kisaragi is asleep, so hopefully I'll be able to escape and figure out my next plan for world domination_, Kanna thought to herself. She managed to sneak through the apartment. But when she tried to open the door, several alarms went off. Before Kanna could move, several grappling hooks came from out of nowhere and grabbed her.

"I had a feeling you would try to escape again." Kisaragi then emerged in the room, dressed in her pink pajamas, holding a remote control.

"You…redesigned my security system?" Kanna said, struggling against the grappling hooks.

"It was so simple that even a child could have designed it," Kisaragi said. She then pushed a button that caused the hooks to release Kanna. Unfortunately, Kanna was several feet in the air, so when the hooks let her go, she feel onto the floor.

"Ow."

"And if you try to pull something like that off again," Kisaragi said, "the ropes will become electrified." She then walked up to Kanna. "Now get some sleep. I have a wonderful day of fun planned for us tomorrow."

"I just want to die," Kanna said, crying again.

* * *

Notes: Well, that's the end of that chapter. Teasing chapter nine, the other Gokajous react to how Chitose and Satsuki are _really_ related, Chitose sees Mako and Hiroto in the wrestling ring, plus a number of other things, including Hikaru learning about what his daughter does nowadays, more trouble on the spiritual journey, more cosplaying, more of Fumitsuki at Chitose's sisters, and of course…more of Kanna going through hell and back.

Before anybody asks, no, "Hockey Girls" is not a real anime/manga. I don't know if anyone's ever made an anime based on ice hockey, but again, please don't hesitate to ask about it.

Shizuka's line about Uzuki's scenario of being like a bad harem anime is a meta-reference, so to speak.

I've also made a correction to the timeline seen in Chapter Six. Hazuki is now born in 1981, not 1982.

Oh, and if you have a chance, please check out "Satsuki's Family," also on this website.

Here's another "Psychiatry Visit" sneak peek, this time with Chitose talking about the time Hazuki and the Moms had a contest to determine whom he would live with, with him being tied up in another one of Kisaragi's dumb inventions and wearing some very…provocative clothing.

_You see, the whole thing started when I decided to spend the night over at Mina's place, because Hazuki was on tour, and Mina was feeling pretty lonely. Well, the next night, Hazuki comes home, and the next thing I know, she wants to take me and have me live with her and Mina._

Well, why couldn't you all live at the house?

_Are you kidding me? There's not enough room in the house for all eight of us. One time, when Hazuki and Mina were spending the night at our place, I ended up sleeping in a tent on the roof. The roof! I'm getting a off-topic._

No, no. Continue.

_Anyways, having Mina and Hazuki move in with us was out of the question, and the last thing Hazuki wanted to do was have the moms move out of the mansion. So, guess what happens next?_

Let me guess…another "stupid, on-the-fly decision?"

_Bingo. Satsuki has the 'wonderful' idea of having a contest between the moms and Hazuki to determine who would have me at their house. They had promised me that they would never do anything like that without talking to me first, and they blatantly broke that promise! I was tied up in another one of Kisaragi's dumb inventions, and was forced to wear some rather…provocative clothing. Moving on, Hazuki and Mutsuki had a cooking contest, which Mutsuki won hands down, because Hazuki just cannot cook to save her life. You know who ends up doing the cooking at her place? Don't answer that. You pretty much know who it is already. Anyways, after that, Satsuki immediately challenged Hazuki to an eating concert, which had to be, one of the DUMBEST decisions anybody could have made. Did you know that Hazuki is an Oba-Kyu, or Art of Eating Master?_

I didn't know that, but between you and me, I think whoever came up with the idea of competitive eating should be shot.

_Agreed._

So Hazuki won that contest.

_Hands down. Next was Kisaragi, and she chose Rock, Paper, Scissors. They tied at first, paper-paper, but then Hazuki beat Kisaragi, scissors over paper. Then, Yayoi and Hazuki squared off in an 'exciting' game of Gomoku. Yayoi won that one._

Chitose…I don't mean to be rude, but could you get to the point?

_I'm getting there. Anyways, since Hazuki had only beaten two of the moms, Uzuki decided to jump in and play a tiebreaker, but I quickly put a stop to that. They then forced me to chose who I would live with, but I would have none of it. I told them that there were no winners or losers to this ridiculous contest, and that they were all my family. Well, at that moment, Mina walked it, and the moms pretty much abandoned me, leaving me half-naked in front of my sister. It was at that moment that Hazuki and Minazuki truly became part of the family, but I made the moms promise shortly after that to never do anything stupid like that again. But, once again, they would break their promise._


	9. Finding Out, Part II

Disclaimer: I do not own "Happy Lesson," its characters or concepts.

So, now we are at chapter number…nine. Well, things are definitely getting interesting with all of the moms. Let's do a brief recap. One of Satsuki's brothers (Kazu) found out about how Satsuki and Chitose_really_ know each other, Mutsuki seems to be suffering from a horrible memory and a man that she would like to forget, Yayoi's spiritual guide seems to have developed a crush on her, but she doesn't know it yet, Uzuki's Cosplay Group seems to be somewhat falling apart, Fumitsuki is starting to get adjusted to Hazuki and Minazuki's lifestyles, and Kanna…well, let's just say that she won't be planning anything evil anytime soon, thanks to Kisaragi. Well, that's it for now. Enjoy!

Please note that reader discretion is advised and that certain celebrities have been impersonated. No celebrities were harmed in the creation of this story.

* * *

A bright light peeking through the bedroom window woke Chitose Hitotose up. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and checked the alarm clock. 

"Seven thirty?" Chitose then stretched and yawned. "I guess I'd better get ready." After freshening himself up, he walked through the house, searching for Gokajous. "Satsuki? Mako? Keni? Where are you guys?"

"I'm serious. Satsuki is Chitose's adopted mother." Chitose overheard Kazu talking to someone.

"Are you kidding me?" Chitose then heard Daichi's voice. "She's way too young to be Chitose's mother, adopted or otherwise."

"Believe it or not, it's true," Kazu continued. "And get this, he has four other moms as well."

"No way," Keni said. "No flipping way."

"It's true," Kazu said. "Chitose told me himself." Kazu, Daichi, Keni, and Tommy were all eating breakfast in the dining room when Chitose entered the room.

"Morning, guys," Chitose greeted the brothers.

"Morning, Chitose," Kazu said.

"Morning, Chi," Daichi said.

"Morning, Chitose," Keni said.

"Hey, Chi," Tommy said. Chitose pulled up a chair between Daichi and Keni.

"You guys ate breakfast already?" Chitose asked.

"Pretty much," Kazu said. "But I can make you some eggs if you want."

"Sure," Chitose said. "Fried, please. Do you have any ham as well?"

"Yes, we do," Kazu said. "I'll go and make it for you." He then stood up and headed towards the kitchen. "And while I'm at it, I'll make some for Satsuki as well."

"Speaking of Satsuki, where is she?" Chitose asked.

"She's out jogging right now," Keni said. "She should be back in a few minutes."

"So…were you guys talking about me just a few minutes ago?" Chitose asked.

"No, we were talking about somebody else we know named Chitose who just happened to have five mothers," Daichi joked. "Of course, we were talking about you, Chi. I've got to admit, it does sound a little bizarre for someone to have five mothers."

"Kazu, did you tell Daichi, Keni, and Tommy about Satsuki and me?" Chitose asked Kazu, who was in the nearby kitchen.

"What do you think, Chitose?" Kazu said with a bit of sarcasm in his voice.

"You guys aren't going to tell anyone about Satuski and me, are you?" Chitose asked the three brothers.

"Nope," Daichi said.

"I swear on my mother, my uncle, and everyone else in the family memorial," Keni said.

"You know I'm not going to tell anyone about you and Saki, Chitose," Tommy said.

"By the way, Chi, how do you like your eggs?" Kazu askedfrom the kitchen.

"I'll take them scrambled," Chitose said.

"Okey-dokey."

"You know that Saki likes egg-whites only, Kaz," Keni said.

"I am well aware of that, Kenichi," Kazu said, somewhat irritated by his brother. At that moment, Satsuki entered the house, wearing her track suit, and went into the dining room.

"Morning, guys," Satsuki said.

"Morning, Saki," Keni said.

"Morning, sis," Daichi said.

"Hey, Satsuki," Tommy said.

"Morning, Satsuki," Chitose said.

"So…" Satsuki said as she sat down next to Daichi, "what did you guys talk about?"

"Oh, nothing at all…_Mama _Satsuki," Tommy said. Satsuki quickly got up and put Chitose in an arm triangle choke.

"Did you tell them about us, Chitose?" Satsuki asked while choking the life out of Chitose. "DID YOU?!" Chitose couldn't answer because Satsuki was cutting off his flow of oxygen. "ANSWER ME!!"

"Satsuki!" Kazu entered the dining room with two plates in his hands, noticing his sister choking out Chitose. "Let him go…NOW!" Satsuki then immediately let go of Chitose, and Daichi and Keni immediately jumped out of their chairs and rushed over to help him. "Now, sit down." Satsuki then nervously sat back in her chair while Kazu set both plates on the table. Kazu then sat down next to Satsuki. "I want you to know that I overheard Chitose talking to Mama-san at the family memorial earlier this morning. That's when I found out about the…unique situation. But I want to hear it from you, Saki. Are you Chitose's mother? And don't give me any of that 'It's a long story' or 'Do I have to' crap. I want to hear it, and I want to hear it now."

"Well…it started last year," Satsuki said. "I noticed one of my students, one Chitose Hitotose, hadn't been doing well in both his studies and his behavior since transferring to Koyomi High School. I asked myself, 'What would mom do in this situation?' and then it hit me. I decided to move in with him, and become his mother, in addition to being his teacher. Turns out four other teachers had the same idea." She then pulled out the Hitotose Family Photo to show to Kazu.

"I take it those are the other teachers-slash-mothers," Kazu said. By that time, Keni and Daichi were helping Chitose over to his chair.

"You okay, man?" Keni asked.

"I've been through worse," Chitose said.

"What exactly is worse than being nearly choked out by a woman?" Daichi asked. Chitose gave him a stern look. "Never mind." Tommy then got a look at the photo.

"So, who are all these people?" Tommy asked.

"The blonde is Uzuki Shitennou," Satsuki said. "She's the Fine Arts teacher. She drives me crazy, I drive her crazy."

"Kind of like the sister you never had, huh?" Keni said.

"You know what, I never thought about it like that," Satsuki said. She then continued pointing out the other moms. "That's Mutsuki Ichimonji with the glasses. She's the Japanese Classics teacher, and I guess she's the ringleader of all of us."

"Hey, wasn't that your roommate after you graduated from college?" Daichi said.

"Yes, she was," Satsuki said. "So was Yayoi Sanzenin, the school nurse."

"That's Yayoi?" Keni asked. "Man, she's definitely gotten hotter over these past few years."

"I'm surprised that you remember her," Satsuki said. "Since you only met her once, and that was five years ago."

"You know me, sis," Keni said. "I never forget a face."

"Finally, we have Kisaragi Ninomai," Satsuki said. "I know absolutely nothing about her, only that she's the Chemistry teacher, she makes all these weird inventions, and that she has a top secret laboratory in the house. That, and she has a childhood friend that has become totally obsessed with Chitose."

"Thanks for reminding me," Chitose said.

"Who are these two girls here?" Kazu asked, referring to the two girls on Chitose's sides. "I mean, I recognize one of them, but who's the other one?"

"Well, the girl on the left, or Chitose's right, is Minazuki," Satsuki said. "She's Chitose's adopted younger sister. She goes to the middle school on campus."

"Did you adopt her alongside Chitose at first?" Keni asked.

"Well, we didn't know about her until a few weeks after we became Chitose's mothers," Satsuki admitted. "And, of course, you know who the other girl is."

"Of course," Kazu said. "That's…"

"Hazuki Yazakura?!" Tommy interrupted. "Chitose…your sister is Hazuki Yazakura?!"

"Yes," Chitose said.

"You're kidding me," Tommy said. "Man, I love her songs! Listen." Just before he could sing, Daichi ran up and covered his mouth.

"Don't you dare," Daichi said. "Don't even _think_ about it." He then mouthed to Chitose, "Bad singer."

"Oh," Chitose said.

"So, Hazuki Yazakura is your sister?" Keni asked Chitose.

"Yep," Chitose said. "She's adopted as well."

"Okay…" Keni said.

"So, let me see if I understand this correctly," Kazu said to Satsuki. "You and four other teachers decided to move in with this problem student…no offence, Chitose."

"None taken," he said.

"And decided to act like mother figures to him. There you go again, Satsuki. Acting without thinking again." He then noticed Satsuki started crying. He walked over to her and started comforting her. "It's okay, Satsuki. Everything's going to be all right."

"I shouldn't have brought you here, Chitose," Satsuki said through the tears. "I should have just come here by myself."

"Don't say that, Mama Satsuki," Chitose said, feeling no longer restricted on how to address his 'mom.' "Besides, I wanted to come here, remember?"

"Yeah," Satsuki said, wiping her face a little. "I'd still appreciate it if you just referred to me as Satsuki during this trip, okay?"

"Sure thing, Satsuki," Chitose said.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Kazu said as he gave Chitose and Satsuki their respective breakfasts. "Now, be sure to eat it before it gets cold."

"Thanks again, Kazu," Satsuki said before doing _Itadakimasu_ before eating. Chitose was just staring at her while she was eating. "What?"

"No elaborate prayer at breakfast?" Chitose asked.

"We only do the elaborate prayer when the entire family is together, Chitose," Satsuki said.

"Oh," Chitose said. He then did the _Itadakimasu_ before he started eating again.

"Man, I envy you, Chitose," Tommy said.

"Let me guess…because of the fact that I live with five beautiful women?" Chitose asked.

"What, your sisters don't live with you?" Tommy asked.

"No, Thomas," Satsuki said. "They live in a condo several blocks from where we live."

"Oh…" Tommy said before he resumed eating. After a bit, Kazu spoke up again.

"You know, Satsuki, you _will_ have to tell Papa-san about this sooner or later," Kazu said to his sister.

"I know," Satsuki said. "I just feel so embarrassed about all that's happened within the past 18 hours."

"Don't be," Kazu said. "Then again, this is a very unique scenario—five teachers living with one of their students as mother figures."

"He's right, Chitose," Daichi said. "And besides…" he then gave Chitose a noogie, "you're part of the family now."

"Ahh!"

"Whoa, sorry about that, Chi," Daichi said as he let go of the noogie.

"Man, you're as strong at Satsuki," Chitose said, rubbing his head. "Speaking of family, where's Mako?"

"He's in the Torture Room," Keni said. "He's getting ready to help Papa-san teach some of the wrestling students."

"Wrestling students?" Chitose asked.

"Dad teaches wrestling classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays," Kazu said. "And since today's Friday…"

"You know, I'm real interested in seeing this 'Torture Room'," Chitose said. "I think when I'm finished, I'm going to go down there."

"Are you sure about that, Chitose?" Satsuki said. "Papa-san's always looking for fresh victims."

"I'll just tell him that I'll only be an observer," Chitose said.

"Sure you will," Keni said. Daichi then tapped Tommy on the shoulder.

"Fifteen hundred yen says that Chitose isn't going to walk back up the basement steps."

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Tokyo, at the condominium, Fumitsuki had just woken and refreshed herself and was walking into the dining room, where Minazuki was making breakfast. 

"Oh, good morning, Fumitsuki," Mina said, smiling.

"Morning, Mina," Fumitsuki said, somewhat grumpily.

"Here, Fumitsuki," Mina said as she showed her a plate of eggs and bacon, arranged like a smiley face. "I made this just for you."

"Swell," Fumitsuki said as she sat down at the table for her breakfast.

"Are you okay, Fumitsuki?" Mina asked, with a bit of a worried look on her face.

"I'm fine, Mina," Fumitsuki said. "I just didn't get a good night's sleep last night."

"I know it's a little weird staying at a strange place for the night, but everything will be fine," Mina said. At that moment, Hazuki entered the room.

"Hey, girls," Hazuki greeted them. Unfortunately, her robe was open, exposing her breasts and…private parts.

"Oh, my GOD!" Fumitsuki shouted.

"Hazuki, we have a guest!" Mina said, covering her eyes. "Cover yourself up!"

"Huh?" Hazuki then noticed that her rope was wide open. "Whoops." She then tied up the robe and fully covered herself up. "Sorry about that. Guess I forgot."

"Hazuki, you really need to be more careful," Fumitsuki said. "I know you feel more comfortable wearing as little clothing as possible, but there's perverts and crazed fanboys out there." While she was saying that, a masked man was climbing up towards the living room window.

"Why are you so worried, Mitsuki?" Hazuki asked. "We're in a safe neighborhood."

"Still, Hazuki, you have to be a little bit more careful," Minazuki said. "Actually, you need to be a lot more careful. We have a guest here, remember?"

"Okay, Mina," Hazuki said. "I promise I'll be more careful." At that moment, something hit the masked guy in the back of the head and he fell off of the window and onto the ground.

"What was that?" Fumitsuki asked.

"Oh, it's probably just some kids playing football outside," Hazuki said. "So, what do you girls want to do?"

"How about we go to the beach?" Mina suggested. "I just checked the weather, and it's going to be a beautiful, sunny day."

"Mina, I know it's a nice day, but I want to go somewhere where I won't be recognized in public," Hazuki said.

"How about we go see a movie?" Fumitsuki suggested. "I've been wanting to see that Lord of the Rings film for a while now."

"I don't know," Hazuki said. "I just want to go somewhere to relax." Light bulb. "I got it! We'll go to that health spa that opened a few weeks ago."

"Isn't that one of those exclusive health spas?" Mina asked.

"Don't worry," Hazuki said. "I can get us in there, no problem."

"Well, if you want to go, I guess we'll go there," Mina said.

"Is there anything else at this spa?" Fumitsuki asked.

"Yes," Hazuki said. "They've also got an arcade and a gymnasium."

"Great," Fumitsuki said. "I can work on my basketball shots there."

"Then it's agreed," Hazuki said. "We'll leave after we finish breakfast…and get dressed, of course."

Soon, everyone was finished with their food and dressed for the day. Hazuki was wearing sunglasses so that she wouldn't be recognized by a crazed fan. All three girls were exiting the condo building when they saw the aforementioned masked fan lying face down in the grass, and four kids (a dark-haired boy wearing glasses, a brown-haired girl, another brown-haired boy, and a…rather hefty dark-haired boy) being interviewed by two female police officers (a black-haired officer with braids, and a brown-haired officer).

"What happened out here?" Fumitsuki asked.

"Just keep moving," Hazuki said. "The soon we get to the spa, the better." As Fumitsuki and Hazuki went along, Mina stopped for a second to look at the unconscious fan. "Mina, let's go!"

"Coming!" Mina said as she headed off with Hazuki and Fumitsuki.

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Hikaru Ichimonji had just heard her daughter tell him about her situation with Chitose and the other teacher-moms. Satomi was sitting down at the table next to Mutsuki. "You noticed this sixteen-year-old student, who was failing his classes, and who had just left the orphanage, get into a fight with a couple of students, and you come up with this idea to move in with him and become his mother?" Mutsuki, somewhat ashamed, nodded. "And four other teachers had this idea as well and also moved in with him. Is that right?" 

"Yes," Mutsuki said meekly.

"Mutsuki…this is the dumbest thing that you have ever done in your entire life!" Hikaru yelled at her. "What in the HELL were you thinking?!" Mutsuki was starting to look away from her father in shame. "Mutsuki, look at me." Mutsuki reluctantly looked at her father. "You do not just interfere in somebody's life like that, no matter how much of a troublemaker he is." Sighing, he then said, "I am very disappointed in you, Mu-chan."

"I'm…sorry, daddy," Mutsuki said, crying a little.

"I'm not the person you should be apologizing to, Mutsuki," Hikaru said as he walked over and sat down in the chair next to Mutsuki. "You still need to apologize to Dr. Kobayashi."

"For what?" Mutsuki said in a somewhat snooty voice.

"You know damn well what, missy," Hikaru said. "And in case you forgot, it was for decking him during dinner, and leaving him lying on the floor."

"You know what, _father_?" Mutsuki said, with a bit of sarcasm on the word 'father.' "I'm not sorry for what I did. In fact, I would feel a hell of a lot better if I never saw that asshole for the rest of my life!"

"That 'asshole' happens to be one of my closest friends," Hikaru said, with a bit of anger in his voice. "and while you may not like him, you will have to get used to him visiting us often during your stay here. And you _will_ have to talk to him during this trip, whether you want to or not." That last bit made Mutsuki snap.

"I HATE YOU!" Mutsuki screamed before ran back to her room in tears. Hikaru and Satomi just stood there in shock.

"Was it that bad?" Hikaru asked his wife.

"Yes," Satomi said. "Just before we came out here to talk to you, Mutsuki told me about the nightmare she had last night."

"Nightmare?"

"It apparently involves Dr. Kobayashi," Satomi said. "Hikaru, I think that Mutsuki still has some bad memories about what happened all those years ago."

Sighing, Hikaru simply said, "I don't know what I'm going to do with her anymore."

"I know what I'm going to do," Satomi said. "I'm going to make sure that our daughter doesn't do anything stupid." She then left him and went over to Mutsuki's bedroom. Hikaru then sighed again before glancing upward.

"What would you do?"

Just a minute later, Satomi reached her daughter's bedroom, and found her laying on her bed.

"Mutsuki?" Satomi then walked over to the bed. "Mu-chan, are you just going to sleep in here all day?" When she tried to touch her daughter, Mutsuki simply swatted it away.

"Go away!" Mutsuki moaned.

"I'm not leaving, Mutsuki," her mother said. "I happen to love you very much, and I'm not going to let you do something that you might end up regretting." She then felt her daughter's forehead. "My word, Mutsuki! I'll go get the thermometer." She then went out of the room. Mutsuki was still crying, but that sniffling soon turned into somewhat sick laughter. She was still laughing when her mother came back with the thermometer.

"Oh, hello, mommy," Mutsuki said in a somewhat creepy voice. "I'm okay now, so I'll just go outside." As Mutsuki stood up, Satomi shoved her back onto her bed.

"I don't think so," Satomi said. Before Mutsuki could object, her mom shoved the thermometer in her mouth. "Don't move." After a minute or so, the thermometer beeped, and Satomi took it out of Mutsuki's mouth. "Thirty-eight. Definitely a fever. You're staying in bed today."

"But, mommy…"

"I mean it," Satomi said. "Get out of those clothes, put your pajamas back on, and get into bed. That's an order."

"But I feel so much better, mommy," Mutsuki said in a somewhat childish voice.

"You're delirious, Mu-chan," Satomi said. "I'm sorry, but you are staying in bed today."

"But, ma…"

"No buts," Satomi said as she tightly tucked her daughter in. "Now lie down. I'll be right back in a minute with some soup." As soon as Satomi left the room, Mutsuki tried to get out of the bed, but she can't, since her mom tucked her in so tight. She started whimpering as she shouldn't get out of the bed.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kanna Togakushi woke up, but in a place that she didn't recognize. 

"Where am I?" she asked. She heard humming, and noticed some stairs a bit a ways from her. She climbed up the stairs and opened the door at the top. She saw that the sun shining, but still had no idea where she was.

"Ahoy there." Kanna heard a voice and turned around to find Kisaragi wearing her white lab jacket, captain's hat, and black bikini. She then deduced that she was on Kisaragi's boat. She climbed up the stairs to the ship's bridge, and found Kisaragi steering the boat.

"Where are we?" Kanna then asked.

"Last time I checked, we were at 26 degrees north latitude and 125 degrees east longitude," Kisaragi replied.

"How did I get on here?" Kanna asked.

"Easy," Kisaragi said. "While you were asleep, I carried you onto the boat. I hope you don't get seasick."

"Where are we going, Kisaragi?" Kanna asked impatiently. "I want to go back to the island right now!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that right now," Kisaragi said.

"But WHY?!"

"Because this is what I have planned for us today," Kisaragi answered. She then noticed another ship full speed ahead. "There they are right now."

"They? Who are _they_ exactly?" Kanna asked worriedly.

"You'll find out soon enough," Kisaragi said as she pulled her boat next to the other boat.

"I'm getting out of here!" Kanna said. She was about to jump into the Pacific Ocean, when one of those grappling hooks appeared out of nowhere, and grabbed her, holding her in mid air. "Lemme go! Lemme go! Lemme go! Lemme go! Lemme go!"

"Oh, calm down," Kisaragi said. After a few minutes, a scuba diver threw something into the other boat. The diver then climbed into his boat before removing his mask, revealing himself to be a man with gray hair, and slightly pale skin.

"Definite found some rare specimens this time," the man said as he turned around to notice… "Kisaragi! Long time no see!"

"Hello, daddy," Kisaragi said, smiling. Hiroshi Ninomai was the adoptive father of Kisaragi Ninomai.

"Oh, NO!" Kanna moaned, while still being held by the grappling hook. "Not them again."

"Hey, Kanna," Hiroshi said. "I haven't seen you in a long time! How have you been?"

"I want to die right now!" Kanna cried.

"Aw, you don't really mean that," Hiroshi said. "By the way, Kisaragi, your mother should be coming up right about…" Just then, another bag is thrown into the boat by another diver. "…now." Another diver then climbed into the boat and removed _her_ mask. She had long, flowing, platinum-colored hair that blew in the sea breeze.

"Hello, Kisaragi," she said.

"Hello, mama," Kisaragi said. Yoshiko Ninomai was, obviously, the adoptive mother of Kisaragi. Hiroshi and Yoshiko, otherwise known as the world-famous Ninomai Science Team, were the two responsible for having their adopted daughter being the inventive mad scientist that she is today.

"Nice weather we're having today, isn't it?" Yoshiko asked.

"Yes, it is," Kisaragi said.

"So, what brings you to this part of the Pacific Ocean?" Hiroshi said.

"Just thought I'd drop by…say hello," Kisaragi said.

"Kisaragi, get me out of here!" Kanna screamed.

"Is that Kanna Togakushi?" Yoshiko asked.

"Oh, no!"

"You are definitely as wired as ever," Yoshiko said. She then tossed Kanna something. "Here, these ought to calm you down a little." Kanna tried to catch the things, which ended up snapping over her hands.

"Wha…what are these?" Kanna asked, freaking out a little.

"Those are electric handcuffs," Hiroshi said.

"Electric…handcuffs?" Kanna had a worried look on her face. "Get them off of me!" As soon as she touched them, she was electrocuted within almost an inch of her life.

"Tried to warn you," Hiroshi said. Yoshiko then tossed Kisaragi a set of keys.

"You'll need those keys to get them off of her," Yoshiko said. "Also, a pair of rubber gloves wouldn't hurt as well."

"I'll try to remember that," Kisaragi said. "Well, we must be off."

"Well, we'll see you guys later," Hiroshi said. "And Kisaragi, try to keep in touch with us more often, okay? We haven't heard from you in months!"

"Will do, daddy," Kisaragi said.

"And Ki-chan, we'll need your help with one of our new projects sometime, okay?" Yoshiko said.

"Okay, mama," Kisaragi said. "I'll see you two later."

"Bye, Kisaragi," Hiroshi said.

"So long," Yoshiko said. And with that, Kisaragi started her boat again and went off into the distance. Now, the two proud parents were alone. "Do you think that Kanna is a bad influence on our daughter?"

"Maybe a little," Hiroshi said. He then gave a flirtatious look towards his wife. "You thinking what I'm thinking."

"I'm thinking what you're thinking," Yoshiko said. And with that, the two of them went into the ship's cabin.

Back on Kisaragi's ship…

"Kisaragi, where are we going?" Kanna asked. She was still handcuffed, although she was no longer being held by the grappling hook.

"That's for me to know, and for you to find out," Kisaragi said.

"Oh, just kill me now," Kanna said, whining again.

* * *

Meanwhile, Chitose was walking down the stairs into the basement, or Torture Room as everyone else calls it, of the Gokajou Mansion. As soon as he arrived downstairs he observed his surroundings. It had a couple of weight benches, several mats, spots of dried blood on the walls, holes in the walls and ceiling, and two 20-foot square wrestling rings. Chitose noticed Mako inside one of the rings, running between the ropes. He then called him out. 

"Hey, Mako!" Mako then noticed Chitose inside the torture room, and decided to meet him. He grabbed the top ring rope and leapt over it, landing on the basement floor.

"What's up, Chitose?" Mako asked. He had his long hair down, wearing a red headband. He was also wearing a white tank top, midnight blue long-legged wrestling tights, and black wrestling boots.

"I heard your dad's teaching classes today," Chitose said. "Is it okay if I stay down here and watch?"

"I don't know how dad would handle it," Mako said as he was tying his hair into a ponytail, "but it's fine with me."

"Speaking of your father, where is he?" Chitose asked,

"Oh, he's with some of the students, making sure they finish their morning exercises," Mako said.

"What kind of exercises?" Chitose asked.

"You really want to know?" Chitose nodded. Mako sighed before explaining, "Well, it starts off with five hundred squats. Then, we do five hundred push-ups."

"Five hundred push-ups?" Chitose asked. "I can't even do fifty push-ups, let alone 500."

"It gets better," Mako said with a bit of sarcasm. "We then jog five kilometers to this twenty-story clock tower, which is owned by a friend of my father's. We go twenty flights up, up the stairs, and twenty flights down. And then, we would do a fireman's carry, like this." He then grabbed Chitose, to his surprise, and put him over his shoulders.

"Whoa!"

"You all right there?" Mako asked.

"What the hell are you doing?" Chitose asked.

"I'm showing you what we go through in our exercises," Mako said. "So basically, I carry I guy like this on my back. Run twenty flights up, and twenty flights down." He then set Chitose back onto the floor, who luckily stood on his feet. "You okay now?"

"Yeah, I'm fine…for now," Chitose said.

"Well, could you lay on your stomach for a second?" Mako asked. Sighing, Chitose dropped to the ground and laid on his stomach while Mako walked over to his ankles. "Now push yourself up." Chitose did so as Mako grabbed his ankles. "We would then grab the partner's ankles like this, like a wheelbarrow, and then, on your hands, go up twenty flights of stairs, and go down twenty flights." He then let go of Chitose's ankles. "Then we switch." Mako then dropped to the floor while Chitose walked around and grabbed his ankles.

"Like this?" Chitose asked.

"Exactly," Mako said. "Then, we go up another twenty flights of stairs, and down twenty flights. Uh, you can let go now." Chitose then let go, and Mako stood up again. "After that, we run another five kilometers back to the Torture Room, and we do all that before we even set foot in that ring."

"Wow!" Chitose said. "I _definitely_ don't want to be a wrestler after what you go through every day."

"I'm used to it by now," Mako said. "When I first started training, I weighed 102 kilograms, or about 225 pounds. When I was done with my initial training, I weighed 83 kilos, or about 183 pounds."

"Whoa baby!" Chitose exclaimed. "You know, you're kind of a big man yourself. How tall _are_ you?"

"Five foot-ten, or about 178 centimeters," Mako said.

"And how tall's Satsuki again?" Chitose asked.

"She's around 160 centimeters, last time I checked," Mako said.

"Whoa!" Chitose said. "Listen, Mako, there's something I need to tell you about me and Satsuki." Chitose then went to tell Mako about his true relationship with Satsuki.

"You've got to be kidding me," Mako said.

"I'm serious," Chitose said.

"So, you're telling me that Satsuki and four other teachers are living with you as mother figures?"

"Yep," Chitose said.

"Chitose, no offence, but that sounds like one of those harem animes that Tommy watches all the time," Mako said.

"I'll have to admit it does, but that's really happening to me right now," Chitose said.

"That's definitely Satsuki, acting without thinking again," Mako said. "But regardless, I'll betcha she did it for Mama-san, didn't she?"

"Yes, she did," Chitose said. "It's too bad I'll never get to meet her."

"Yeah," Mako said. "She was one hell of a woman." After a brief pause, Mako spoke up again. "You know, we've got at least fifteen minutes before the first students gets back here, so why don't I show you some basic wrestling holds?"

"Are you sure about that?" Chitose asked.

"Trust me," Mako said, in a somewhat sinister voice.

* * *

Meanwhile, Hazuki, Minazuki, and Fumitsuki arrived at the Manekigaoka Resort and Health Spa, located in Tokyo near the Saitama, Chiba, and Tokyo prefecture borders. It was a very luxurious health spa, and, like Mina said, was very exclusive. The receptionist was currently arguing with a customer. 

"What do you mean, I can't go in?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, but the Maneki Resort Health and Spa is a very exclusive health club," the receptionist said. "And we can't just accept anyone as a member."

"You know what, screw this! I'm out of here," the woman said before she walked towards the exit, passing the girls in the process. "Stupid bastards! I just wanted to do something on my day off…"

(That woman, incidentally, that was denied entry into the health spa, was Michiru "Mike" Akiyama, the secretary to the counseling center where Dr. Yamamoto works at.)

"What a weird woman," Fumitsuki said.

"Mitsuki!" Mina said.

"I'd have to agree with her on that, Mina," Hazuki said as she approached the receptionist's desk.

"May I help you?" the receptionist asked.

"Yes," Hazuki said, still wearing her sunglasses. "We'd like to be admitted to the health spa for the day, please."

"Are you a member with us?" the receptionist asked. Hazuki chuckled at that.

"Lady…" Hazuki said as she removed her sunglasses. "Do you have any idea who I am?"

"I don't care if you're the Crown Princess," the receptionist said. "If you're not a member, you don't go in." Hazuki simply chuckled at this.

"I had a feeling it would come to this," Hazuki said as she took out some money and put a ¥10,000 bill on the desk.

"I'm afraid that I can't just let anyone into…" the reception said as Hazuki put another ¥10,000 bill on the desk. "Miss, you do know that this is an exclusive…" Hazuki then put down two more ¥10,000 bills. "Ma'am, I am sorry, but no amount of money is going to…" Hazuki then put the rest of the bills on the table. "I'll, uh…see what I can do." She then left the desk to go talk to the manager.

"Hazuki, what are you doing?" Fumitsuki asked.

"Trying to get us in, Mitsuki," Hazuki said.

"By bribing them?" Fumitsuki had a bit of an angry look on her face.

"You'd be surprised how often it works," Hazuki said as she moved her hair covering her right eye aside and winked.

"How much money did you put down there, Hazuki?" Mina sked.

"Two hundred thousand yen."

"Two hundred thousand?" Fumitsuki was surprised at the amount of money Hazuki was bribing the receptionist. Just then, the manager arrived. He was a man of average height with medium-length hair and wearing glasses.

"Excuse me, Miss Yazakura?" he said.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry for any trouble we may have caused you," he said. "I am willing to offer lifetime membership for you, your family, and your friends for a one-time only offer of ¥200,000." He then noticed the money on the desk, he which promptly. "That will do nicely." He then snapped his fingers. "Get them their membership cards."

"But, sir…" the receptionist started to say.

"NOW!" The receptionist simply muttered as she walked over to get new membership cards. The manager then turned over to the girls and smiled. "This'll only take a minute or two." About three minutes later, the receptionist returned with three membership cards.

"I need your full names please," the receptionist reluctantly said.

"Hazuki Yazakura."

"Fumitsuki Nanakarobi."

"Minazuki Rokumatsuri."

"Right..." the receptionist said as she typed in the names to printout on the membership cards. After another minute, the newly printed cards came out, and the manager handed them to Hazuki.

"You now have full and complete access to our exclusive amenities," the manager explained as Hazuki handed the other membership cards to Fumitsuki and Mina "which include a gymnasium, Olympic-size swimming pool, massage parlor, as well as public and private bath houses. Are there any questions?" Mina then raised her hand. "Yes?"

"Do you have a map of this place?" Mina asked.

"Yes, indeed, I do," the manager said. He then produced three brochures. "These contain all the information that you need to know." He handed them to each of the girls. "Well, you girls enjoy yourselves. Remember, if you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask of our employees. My name's Ichiro, if you girls wanted to know." Hazuki, Fumitsuki, and Mina then started heading off. "And also, be sure to tell your friends and family about us, and I'll give them free memberships as well." As soon as they were out of earshot, the receptionist spoke again.

"Why did you do that?" she asked.

"Because my daughter happens to be a big Hazuki fan," Ichiro said. "And if I had denied the great Hazuki Yazakura membership to the exclusive Maneki Resort and Spa, she would have never forgiven me." At that moment, Mike Akiyama returned to the receptionist's desk.

"Okay, I have some money now," Mike said. "Could you please…"

"Beat it!" the receptionist said.

"Hold on a sec," Ichiro said. He then turned to Mike. "You got a hundred grand?" Mike then held up a credit card.

"You take Visa?" she asked.

"Of course," Ichiro said. A few minutes later, and Michiru Akiyama was now a member of the Manekigaoka Resort and Spa.

"Why did you make her a member?" the receptionist asked.

"Because…" Ichiro said. "She's my little sister."

* * *

"No way," Chitose said. 

"Oh, come on, Chitose," Mako said. "I just want to put you in a sleeper hold." Mako had been demonstrating various wrestling holds for Chitose for the past twelve minutes.

"No way, José."

"Is it because Saki put you in a chokehold earlier?" Mako asked.

"Maybe…"

"Come on, Chi," Mako said. "I've already put you in a wristlock, a hammerock, an armbar, a full nelson, an anaconda vice, a crossface chickenwing, and a figure-four leg lock."

"Well, all right," Chitose said, sighing. Mako then maneuvered himself to Chitose's back and prepared to put him in a sleeper hold.

"Now, I'm going to go a little gentle on you, since you went through all that with Satsuki earlier," Mako said.

"Thanks for reminding me," Chitose said.

"You know what," Mako said. "I'm not going to put you in a sleeper hold."

"Whew!"

"Instead, I'm going to put you in a cobra clutch."

"I knew there was a catch," Chitose said, sweatdropping.

"Now, you know how I put you in a full nelson earlier?"

"Yeah."

"Well, first I'm going to put you in a half-nelson," Mako said. "Basically, I'm going to hook my left arm under your left arm." Mako does so while he's explaining it. "Then, I'm going to take my right arm, grab your left arm, and pull it across your face. You ready?"

"I think so," Chitose said.

"Here we go," Mako said as he grabbed Chitose's left arm with his (Mako's) right, and pulled it across his (Chitose's) face. He then locked Chitose's hand behind his own neck. "Excruciating, isn't it?"

"Yes!" Chitose screamed. After about a minute or so, Mako let go of the hold, and Chitose held his left arm in pain.

"So, how do you feel?" Mako asked.

"My arm hurts, my legs hurt, my back hurts, and my face hurts, but other than that, I'm fine," Chitose said.

"You know, you'd make a pretty good pro wrestler," Mako said.

"And why's that?" Chitose asked.

"Because you're able to work through the pain," Mako said, remembering the time he accidentally dropped the bag with Satsuki's weights on him. "One of the key things about being a successful pro wrestler is being able to work through excruciating pain. Take Triple H for example. He tore his quadriceps muscle while working a tag team championship bout, and he still managed to finish the match."

"Ouch!"

"Or how about Stone Cold Steve Austin?" Mako said. "He was the victim of a botched piledriver by Owen Hart. Drove his head right into the mat."

"Yeah, I read about that once," Chitose said. "I'm amazed he's still able to walk after that match."

"You thought that was painful?" Mako said. "How about Shawn Michaels? He took a back body drop to the outside, smashing his lower back onto a casket, which herniated two of his discs, and crushed one completely."

"That _had_ to hurt," Chitose said.

"You see why he's not wrestling anymore?"

"Yeah," Chitose said. "These guys are putting their lives on the line. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Chitose…do you know why I decided to become a wrestler?" Mako asked. "Or why those guys I just mentioned managed to finish their matches despite the horrific pain they were in?" Chitose shook his head. "It's this little thing called passion. If you don't have a passion for this business called professional wrestling, you're not going to make very far."

"Wow. I see what you mean," Chitose said. "Hey, Mako. I saw you jump out of the ring earlier. How did you do that?"

"Three simple words, Chitose," Mako said. "Practice. Practice. Practice. But that's not the only elaborate ring exit I can do. Watch this." He then walked over to the edge of the ring ropes, turned his back to the rope, and did a back flip over the top rope and landing on the basement floor.

"Whoa!"

"You may want to use the steps, Chitose," Mako said. "It takes a lot of practice to do those elaborate moves I just showed you."

"I'll keep that in mind," Chitose said.

* * *

Back in Kyoto, in the alleyway, Uzuki and Suzuki were waiting for Yumiko and Shizuki to come out of the warehouse. Suzuki was getting so impatient, that he began checking his watches: first on his left wrist, then on his right wrist, then two on his left ankle, then he pulled a pocket watch out of his coat pocket, then he asked a stranger on the street for the time. 

"It's nine o'clock," the guy said. Suzuki then checked his watch, then check the other man's watch. He was wearing a Nintendo watch.

"Thanks again, man," Suzuki said.

"Anytime." He then walked off.

"Damn, I need to get my watches fixed," Suzuki said. He then turned to Uzuki. "Do you have the time?"

"Suzuki, just be patient," Uzuki said. "They'll get here eventually."

"I need the time, Uzuki," Suzuki said. Sighing, Uzuki took out her cell phone and showed Suzuki the time. "Thank you." He then reached into his trench coat pocket and pulled out an hourglass.

"Sometimes I'll never understand you, Takashi," Uzuki said.

"I think it's best that people don't understand me, sister," Suzuki said. He then put the hourglass back into his pocket and walked out of the alleyway. He then pulled a sundial out of another pocket.

"We're finally here, no thanks to this idiot," Yumiko called out to Suzuki. He then walked back into the alleyway to meet the three female Cosplayers.

"What kept you guys?" Uzuki asked.

"Well, we would have been out here sooner if _somebody_ hadn't been watching me change clothes," Yumiko said while glaring at Shizuka.

"What?" Shizuka said.

"I can't stand this anymore," Yumiko said. "Either get rid of her or I'm gone."

"Don't worry, Yumiko," Suzuki said. "I'll make sure she doesn't bother you. Shizuka?"

"Yeah?" Shizuki said. Suzuki then walked over to Shizuka and whispered in her ear.

"If you _ever_ bother Yumiko like that again, I will force you to listen to Hazuki Yazakura non-stop for the rest of the trip."

"WHAT?!!!"

"And I'll also force you to watch her music videos, too."

"Aw, man!" Shizuka said.

"Do we have a deal?" Suzuki asked.

"Yes…" Shizuka said meekly.

"Good girl," Suzuki said. "Now, let's get down to business. What are we going to do today?"

"Well, if we cosplay, I don't want to do Steel Angel Kurumi…for obvious reasons," Yumiko said.

"Let's do Excel Saga," Shizuka said.

"It's nine o'clock in the morning," Suzuki said while looking at Yumiko's watch. "Besides, Sister Uzuki has something she wants to tell us. Sister?"

"Thanks, bro," Uzuki said. "I was thinking that today, we should just see the sights of Kyoto. What do you guys think?"

"Do we have to?" Shizuka moaned.

"YES!" Uzuki, Suzuki, and Yumiko shouted.

"Geez, you don't have to yell," Shizuka said.

"Then it's agreed," Suzuki said. "So, where do we go first?"

* * *

Susumu Arisaka awoke with quite a shock. He wished he was having a nightmare, but the situation he was currently in proved otherwise. He was in a sleeping bag in the middle of a foggy forest. He was guiding one Yayoi Sanzenin on a spiritual journey, and it got off to a rough start when he tripped and fell…right into Yayoi's chest. He then turned to face a nearby sleeping bag, which was currently empty. 

"Where is that girl?" he asked. Susumu then climbed out of the sleeping bag and went to go search for Yayoi. "She had better not gone too far." He then heard some water splashing from a distance, so he followed the sound to a nearby riverbed. He then peeked from a nearby tree and saw a certain school nurse bathing in the river. He immediately turned away and blushed heavily. "I should not have seen that," he said to himself.

"Susumu?" He then gasped as soon as Yayoi called his name.

_I'm hope she didn't see me spying on her_, Susumu thought. He then heard more water splashing, almost as if Yayoi had either gone underwater or gotten out of the water. He had hoped it was the former.

"Susumu, could you come here for a second?" he heard Yayoi call out to him. Sighing, Susumu felt as though he didn't have any other choice. Against his own conscience, he came out of his hiding spot and walked over to Yayoi…only to gasp in shock (and get a nosebleed) and rush over back to his hiding spot.

_I did not just see her naked…did I?_ Susumu thought to himself. He was hoping that he was still dreaming, but then something grabbed him and turned him around. Yayoi was standing right in front of him! And she was naked, too!

"Did you like what you saw?" Yayoi asked him, with a seductive voice. Susumu then glanced away and closed his eyes.

"Yayoi, do us both a favor and put your kimono back on," Susumu said. He soon felt his face being turned back towards Yayoi, and the school nurse whispering in his ear.

"I think it would be much for fun if we did our spiritual journey like this," Yayoi whispered, again with that seductive voice. Susumu simply pushed her away and turned his back to her.

"Whatever you are trying to do, Miss Sanzenin, it is not going to work," Susumu said sternly. "You will put your kimono back on, and we will continue this in a normal fashion." He kept his back turned to her for the next couple of minutes before he turned around again. Yayoi was now fully dressed in her miko uniform. "Thank you. Now, we need to pack everything up before we continue." He then walked over to the site where the sleeping bags were.

"Mr. Arisaka…"

"No talking," Susumu said as he held his hand up. "Let's just get our things together go we can get on with the journey." Sighing, Yayoi followed him back to the sleeping bags.

_He does look cute when he's embarrassed like that_, Yayoi thought to herself.

_I am _definitely_ not going to make it through this_, Susumu thought to himself as he packed up his bag.

* * *

Whew! This has been my longest chapter yet. And the story's still not over. I have no idea how long this story is going to be, so just keep reading and reviewing, kay? 

Again, I think I'm on the border between a "T" rating and an "M" rating. I might cross it within the next few chapters.

For the wrestling fans reading this, this story took place before Shawn Michaels made his successful comeback as a wrestler.

Kisaragi's adopted parents, Hiroshi Ninomai (born 1942) and Yoshiko Ninomai (born 1944) have been added to my character list on my bio.

I've also added Michiru "Mike" Akiyama (born 1977) to my character list. You'll be seeing a lot more of her in "Psychiatry Visits."

Oh, and in case anyone is interested, the guy that Suzuki asked the time is Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of such popular Nintendo series as Mario, Donkey Kong, Zelda, F-Zero, Star Fox, Kirby, etcetera.

Occasionally, I will be bringing you a thing I call "Five Questions." This is where our Happy Lesson characters (both actual and fan-made) are asked five random questions. Our subject for this chapter will be Makoto Gojakou, one of Satsuki's younger brothers.

_What made you decide to go into professional wrestling?  
_I'd have to say my father, because he was a former pro wrestler.

_If you weren't a pro wrestler, what would you be doing?_  
I always wanted to be a wrestler. No question about it. But if you're asking what I do when I'm not wrestling, I like to fish. I'm a pretty avid fisherman. I especially like to fish in Okinawa.

_How did you become a pro wrestler?  
_Well, I was a two-sport star in high school, playing both football (soccer) and wrestling. I pretty much started training for the pros right out of high school, taking night school classes as well. An important thing to do is that if your wrestling career doesn't work out, you have something to fall back on.

_What is one place you've always wanted to go to that's not in Japan?  
_Australia. I have honest to God never been there.

_How close are you to your immediate family?  
_We're very close. I'm especially close to my older siblings: Kazu, Daichi, Satsuki, and Keni.

I should note that these segments sometimes bring spoilers to future chapters. Just thought I'd let you know that. Anyway, R and R (Read and review).


	10. Finding Out, Part III

Disclaimer: I do not own "Happy Lesson," its characters or concepts.

We are now at chapter ten. Mutsuki seems to be losing her mind, Satsuki finds out that her brothers have found out about their secret, Susumu is trying to keep his libido in check around Yayoi, Uzuki and the Cosplay Group plan a day of fun, Kisaragi just spent some quality time with her parents, and Fumitsuki and the sisters are going to relax at the spa. What will happen next? Well, you'll just have to read this chapter, now won't you?

Please note that reader discretion is advised and that certain celebrities have been impersonated. No celebrities were harmed in the creation of this story.

* * *

Mutsuki was now relaxing in her bedroom. She had just eaten her soup a little while ago. 

"I'm serious. You should not be seeing Mutsuki right this moment." Mutsuki was hearing her mother, Satomi, talking to someone.

"I know, Mrs. Ichimonji." Mutsuki immediately recognized that voice. "I'm just worried about her. That's why I came over before my shift at the hospital." Mutsuki was starting to get that worried look in her eyes.

Outside of Mutsuki's room, Satomi was talking to Dr. Takahiro Kobayashi. Taky was wearing blue scrubs.

"Well, last time I checked, Mutsuki was running a fever," Satomi said. "If she's feeling better tomorrow, I was thinking of taking her to the ice rink."

"No offence, Satomi," Taky said, "but I don't think that Mutsuki should be going to a public place like that anytime soon. I mean, if what you told me is true, then she needs to see a psychiatrist."

"Takahiro…"

"Look, I don't blame her for what happened last night at dinner," Taky said, "but it looks like something's wrong with Mutsuki. Not just physically, but mentally as well."

"Well…all right," Satomi said reluctantly. "I'll take her to a psychiatrist later today."

"All right," Takahiro said. "It's too bad Hikaru isn't here."

"Well, he was running late to school because of the lecture he gave Mutsuki earlier today," Satomi said. "I'll tell him you said hi, though."

"Okay," Takahiro said. "Well, I've got to go bring new life into the world."

"You go do that," Satomi said.

"Well, see you later, Tomi."

"Hey, only Hikaru is allowed to call me that," Satomi said, in a mock-angry tone. "But I'll let it slide this time."

"All right," Taky said. "I'll see you guys later."

"Take care," Satomi said as Dr. Kobayashi was heading for the exit. She then walked into Mutsuki's room, where Mu-chan was fake-sleeping. "Cut that out, Mutsuki. I know you're awake." Mutsuki then 'woke up.'

"I don't want to go to a psychiatrist, mommy," Mutsuki said, in her childish voice again.

"Well, that wasn't really my decision, Mutsuki," Satomi said. "In fact, you can thank Dr. Kobayashi for that idea."

"Don't mention…that name!" Mutsuki said while gritting her teeth.

"What, Dr. Kobayashi Takahiro?"

"That…name!"

"That's it. I'm calling to make an appointment right now," Satomi said before she left the bedroom. She then peeked back in. "By the way, he forgives you for what happened last night." She then left again. Mutsuki, meanwhile, was simply rocking back and forth in the fetal position.

"That name…that _name_!" She kept muttering over and over.

* * *

Back at the Gokajou mansion, Kazu and Satsuki were going through some old photo albums. 

"Hey, Saki, take a look at this," Kazu said. Satsuki stopped looking at the album she was currently looking at and scooted over to Kazu. Both of them were on the living room floor, by the way.

"Isn't that from…" Satsuki started to say.

"Our trip to Toronto for WrestleMania VI," Kazu finished. "You know, I think this was one of the few times that Papa-san was able to convince Mama-san to come out of the country with us."

"Our last family vacation before she got sick," Satsuki said sadly.

"Yeah," Kazu said as he flipped through the album some more. "You know, dad was contemplating on whether or not to take Keni, Mako, and Tommy to London for SummerSlam, but Mama-san told them to go. At least they were able to make it back before…" At that moment, Satsuki started to cry. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, no," Satsuki said, wiping her face. "Just a little something in my eye."

"Bullshit," Kazu said. "You were crying." This caused Satsuki to chuckle a little.

"I can't hide anything from you, can I?" she asked.

"Nope," Kazu said. "Come here." Kazu then pulled his sister close into an embrace, allowing her to cry into his shoulder. "I miss her, too."

"It's not that," Satsuki said as Kazu let her out of the embrace. "I'm just wondering what papa-san is going to think about…you know."

"You and Chitose? If you're lucky, he's probably going to break you in half." Kazu and Satsuki turned around and noticed Tommy standing in the hallway.

"Tommy…" Satsuki was going to bash him into next year when Kazu stopped her.

"I'll handle this, sis," Kazu said as he stood up and walked over to Tommy. He then gave Tommy a somewhat creepy smile.

"I don't like that look, man," Tommy said.

"Relax, bro," Kazu said. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just going to make you scrub all the toilets in the house."

"Are you kidding me?" Tommy asked. Kazu then had that serious look on his face. "Oh, Good God, you're serious."

"Damned serious." Tommy simply moaned in response before we went off to do his chores. At that moment, Keni entered the living room, chewing on a piece of gum.

"What did he do this time?" Keni asked.

"He was insensitive…again," Kazu said.

"I don't think he'll ever learn to respect other people's feelings," Keni said as he walked over to Satsuki and sat down next to her. He then took out a piece of gum. "You want a piece?" he asked her.

"Isn't that nicotine gum?" Satsuki said.

"You know what, you're right," Keni said as he put the nicotine gum away. He then pulled out a regular pack of gum. "You still want one?"

"No thank you," Satsuki said. "I'm trying to cut back."

"Okay," Keni said. He then noticed a particular photo in the album. "Hey, isn't this from when Tommy was auditioning for Nintendo Challenge '96?"

"I don't really remember that," Satsuki said. Kazu then double-checked the photo.

"You know what, you're right, Ken," Kazu said. "That is from the Nintendo Challenge audition." Keni the chuckled at that.

"I still remember at the audition," Keni said. "Tommy totally screwed up the maze at the last tryout station."

"What do you mean by that?" Satsuki asked.

"Okay, here's what happened," Keni said as he starting to tell the story. "Tommy was at the midway point of the maze where he tried to find the keys to open the door to unlock his partner so she would finish the race. The keys were in these compartments that were labeled by the answers to a question. The question was—What were the only two Robot Masters in the Rockman series that were _not_ designed by a Japanese person?"

"So, what happened next?" Satsuki asked.

"Well, he was going like gangbusters through the maze until he reached that point, because he didn't really have any idea what the robots were, so he just kept picking keys," Keni continued. "The judges didn't even bother to disqualify him, even though he had gone _way_ over the ten-minute time limit. When he finally got his partner out, she just ran right through the rest of the maze, completely ignoring the fact that she was locked in that chamber for nearly half an hour. And the worst part of it was that his team went first, so all the other teams just blew them out of the water."

"And Tommy was so embarrassed about his performance, that he refused to come out of this room for at least a month," Kazu finished the story.

"Thanks for finishing it, Kaz," Keni said somewhat sarcastically. "By the way, Kaz, Daichi is so anxious about playing dominoes, that he's thinking about trashing your room so that he can find them." Kazu then sighed in response.

"I'm going to go over there and make sure he doesn't do that," Kazu said as he left the living room. That left Keni and Satsuki alone.

"I've been meaning to show you this, sis," Keni said as he brought out another photo album. Satsuki read the name on the cover.

"007 World Tour. Kenichi, did you really do this?" Satsuki asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Keni said, going through the album. "I was thinking I could show you this while we're waiting for Kazu and Daichi."

"Interesting," Satsuki said. "Is that the Eiffel Tower?"

"Yep," Keni said. "And over there is the Cheateau de Chantilly, located about 40 kilometers from Paris. Did you know that according to legend, the duke who built this believed that he would be reincarnated as a horse, so its stables are suitable for those of his rank?"

"That must have been one weird guy," Satsuki said.

"I thought that myself," Keni said. "And over there is the Chateau d'Anet. That's where they shot the opening scene involving the jetpack from the movie Thunderball."

"Interesting," Satsuki said.

"I forgot to mention this earlier, but I also visited the studios where they filmed Moonraker in Paris," Keni continued.

"Oh…" Satsuki said. At that moment, Kazu and Daichi arrived in the living room.

"I have the dominoes," Kazu said.

"Now, let's get playing, man!" Daichi said, somewhat impatiently.

"I guess we'll have to look through this later," Keni said.

"Well, we can look through it while we're playing," Satsuki said. "Can't we, guys?"

"I don't see why not," Kazu said. "But the least you could do is put that album away before you do."

"Will do, bro," Satsuki said. As she was putting the album she and Kazu were looking at earlier away, Daichi tapped Keni on the shoulder.

"You're not planning on cheating like you did a few years back, are ya?" Daichi asked him.

"Will you just let it go?" Keni said.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the S.S. Ninomai, Kisaragi (wearing her captain's hat, lab coat, and black bikini) was fishing over the poop deck, while Kanna was impatiently pacing back and forth. 

"How much long are we going to stay here?" Kanna asked, with a semi-teary look in her eye.

"As long as I feel like it," Kisaragi said unemotionally. Just then, Kisaragi got a bite. "Hmm. Got one." She then reeled it in…which turned out to be a pair of swimming trunks. Kanna blushed profusely as soon as she saw the swimwear. "I wonder how those got here," Kisaragi said.

"Excuse me…" Kisaragi then peeked over the boat and found a boy with black hair and blue eyes just floating near the stern. He was blushing. "Could you please hand me my swimsuit back?"

"Well…" Before Kisaragi could do anything, Kanna snatched the swimsuit from the fishing hook.

"If you want it that badly, come up here and get it!" Kanna said, taunting the boy by holding the swimsuit over the boat's edge. Kisragi then "accidentally" hit Kanna in the back, causing her to fall overboard with the swimsuit in hand. In the resulting confusion, the boy grabbed the swimsuit and quickly put it back on.

"Thanks," he said before swimming back to another boat, this one featuring three women—one with long pink hair, one with short brunette hair, and the other with even shorter blonde hair. Kanna, meanwhile was struggling in the water before being pulled back into the boat by the grappling hook.

"Kanna, what did I say about taunting people?" Kisaragi asked, holding the controls to the grappling hook.

"Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!" Kanna said, struggling in the grappling hook. Kisaragi then pushed a button, causing the grappling hook to let go of Kanna, making her fall onto the deck, landing on her bottom.

"Oomph," Kanna grunted as she landed. Kisaragi then walked over to the ship's bridge. "Where are we going now?"

"That's for me to know and for you to find out," Kisaragi said.

* * *

Back in the foggy forest, Susumu was talking to himself. 

"Don't look at Yayoi. Don't look at Yayoi. Don't look at Yayoi. Don't look at Yayoi. Don't look at Yayoi," Susumu kept repeating to himself. He then briefly glanced at Yayoi, who was walking behind him, before staring forward again. "Baka, you looked!"

"Are you okay, Susumu?" Yayoi asked him. Susumu simply ignored her. Yayoi then ran ahead of him and stopped before him. "Are you all right?"

"Miss Sanzenin, I would appreciate it if you didn't pull off any more stunts like you just did an hour ago," Susumu said bluntly. "We are here on a spiritual journey, and mikos do _not_ seduce the priests. I know we are totally isolated from civilization, but that doesn't me that you should…" Before he could finish, Yayoi pressed her lips right up to his. His eyes then opened in shock as he quickly shoved Yayoi away.

"Susumu…" Yayoi said with tears in eyes.

"Yayoi, we here on a spiritual journey, not on a spiritual mating ritual," Susumu said. He then sat down on the ground and put himself in a meditating position. "We shall now meditate to cleanse our spirits." Yayoi tried to get a word in, but Susumu's eyes closed, and he was now fully focused. Sighing, Yayoi sat down into the mediation position as well.

"I just wanted to have a little fun," Yayoi said to herself before closing her eyes and going into full concentration.

* * *

Back in the "Torture Room," numerous wrestling students of all shapes and sizes sat on the floor awaiting the arrival of Hiroto Gokajou. Mako and Chitose were in the wrestling ring, keeping an eye on the students. 

"Thanks again for letting me watch your class," Chitose said to Mako.

"No problem, Chi," Mako said, with his hair tied back into a ponytail. "I just wonder what dad is going to do when he finds out about you and Satsuki."

"I hope he understands," Chitose said.

"He might…after he puts you in the Torture Rack for about five minutes," Mako said.

"You don't mean a real torture rack, do you?" Chitose asked with a bit of a worried look on his face.

"Chitose, a Torture Rack is a type of backbreaker submission hold," Mako said.

"That makes me feel a _lot_ better," Chitose said, sweatdropping a little. At that moment, Hiroto entered the basement through a door leading into the backyard. All of the students immediately stood up (some easier than others) and bowed to their teacher.

"As you were," Hiroto said gruffly, and the students sat back down on the floor. "Now…today we will continue to work on bumps and selling offense." He then pointed to one of the students. "Tanaka."

"Yes, sensei?" the student known as Tanaka said as he stood up. He was 23 years old, stood 5 foot, 9 inches tall (175 centimeters), and weighed around 210 pounds (95 kilograms). He had long black hair, a little bit longer than Mako's.

"You will and Mori will be first. Go into ring one." At that moment, Mori, a 24-year old man with short midnight blue hair, standing 5'10" (178 cm), and weighing 212 pounds (96 kg), stood up, and the two students went into the ring that Chitose and Mako were not in, to start their ring work. He then addressed another student. "Sato."

"Yes, Sensei?" Sato said. Sato was around the same height and age as Tanaka, but weighed around 206 pounds (93 kilograms), and had burgundy-colored hair.

"I'd like you to go into the ring with Mako," Hiroto said as he pointed to the ring which had Mako and Chitose in it. Wait a second. Hiroto then noticed Chitose in the ring. "Chitose, what are you doing in there?"

"Well, uh…" Chitose tried to speak, but couldn't find the words, somewhat intimidated by "Giant" Gokajou.

"Chitose wanted to observe the wrestling class, sensei," Mako said. "I can assure you that he won't get in the way."

"Very well," Hiroto said. "Chitose, sit over by the students. You might learn something."

"Thank you, Sensei," Chitose said while bowing. He then maneuvered his way out of the ring, walked over to where some of the students were sitting, and sat down. Sato then entered the ring with Mako in it, and prepared to wrestle.

"Hey," one of the students tapped Chitose on the student.

"Yeah?" Chitose asked. He got a good look at the student. He had long back hair tied into a ponytail and was wearing a blue bandana that had the kanji symbol for 'wolf' on it.

"You don't look like the guy that's into wrestling," the student said.

"Yeah, so why are you here?" another student asked. This one had brown hair, and looked as though he weighed more than 300 pounds (136 kilograms).

"You guys really want to know?" Both students nodded. "I'm dating the sensei's daughter."

"No," the hefty fella said.

"You've got to be kidding me," the other guy said.

"I'm serious," Chitose said. "And she brought me over here to meet the family."

"So, you don't live around here?" the student next to him asked.

"Hell no," Chitose replied. He then turned his attention to the ring, where Mako was Irish-whipped into the ropes by Sato, then ducked Sato's clothesline, before bouncing off the opposite ropes and dropkicking his opponent. Unfortunately, the dropkick missed, i.e.: Sato forgot to take the move properly. Mako simply picked himself up and brushed himself off.

"How long have you been in this class, Sato?" Mako asked him.

"Uh…two weeks now," Sato replied.

"Two weeks? And you don't know how to take a simple dropkick?" Mako was apparently disgusted with the student that was sent into the ring with him. "Let's try that again."

"Okay," Sato said. Mako then let Sato Irish-whip him into the ropes again, followed by the ducked clothesline, and Mako dropkicking again. This time, Sato jumped backwards just a second before Mako's feet hit him. Mako then performed a kip-up and walked over to the prone Sato. Chitose was definitely impressed.

"Whoa," Chitose said.

"What?" the hefty student asked.

"I didn't realize he was so…acrobatic," Chitose said.

"Yeah, but I think he's nothing but a show-off," the slimmer student said. They could then hear Mako chewing out his student.

"That time, you sold the move too soon," Mako said.

"Did I really?" Sato asked.

"Yes," Mako said as he helped Sato up. "Now, we're going to try that one more time."

"Do we have to?" Sato whined.

"Yes," Mako said. "And immediately afterwards, you're doing twenty laps around the mansion."

"Crap," Sato said. Chitose watched them closely. Again, Sato Irish-whipped Mako into the ropes, Mako ducked the clothesline attempt by Sato, then Mako dropkicked Sato again. This time, Sato stood up for a second before jumping back onto the mat.

"That guy is pathetic," Chitose said to the two students. Mako then walked up to the student, after he stood up normally.

"That time, you sold it too late," Mako said. "Just for that, you have to do five more laps. Now take a walk." Sato then stood up and slid out of the ring, on his way out of the basement to do his laps. Mako then gestured to one of the students. "Miyagi, in the ring."

"My turn," the smaller of the two students, now known as Miyagi, said to Chitose. "Time to show you how it's done." He then stood up and walked into the ring where Mako was.

"Sasaki, join him," Mako addressed the larger of the two students talking to Chitose.

"Aw, man!" Sasaki said. "Well, it was nice knowing you." He tapped Chitose on the shoulder before heading into the ring.

"Nice guys," Chitose said to himself somewhat sarcastically. He then focused on the action in the other ring between Tanaka and Mori.

"Now, this time, try not to flinch when you take the shot, Mori," Hiroto said to his student.

"I'll try, sensei," Mori said.

"Don't try, Mori," Hiroto said. "In fact, I'm ORDERING you not to flinch when Tanaka backdrops you."

"Yes, sensei."

"Good," Hiroto said. "Now, let's get at it." Tanaka and Mori then started to wrestle. Soon, Mori was in the position for Tanaka to backdrop him onto the mat. Unfortunately, Tanaka was too close to the ropes, and he ended up backdropping Mori over the top rope and onto the basement floor!

"Ooh!" Chitose winced as he noticed Mori hitting the floor. Some of the students noticed as well, and one was on his way up.

"Stay where you are!" Hiroto shouted out to the student. He then turned towards Mako. "Makoto!"

"Right," Mako said. He turned over to Miyagi and Sasaki. "Continue working on your bumps." Mako then climbed through the ropes and stepped onto the floor. He then rushed over to the prone Mori, who was holding his right arm in pain.

"I am _definitely_ not going into wrestling after seeing that," Chitose said to himself.

"Ah, he'll walk it off," one of the students said. He had dark blond hair and amber eyes. Mako and Hiroto were still checking on Mori, still holding his arm in pain.

"That arm definitely looks serious, Mori," Hiroto said.

"I knew we should have put the mats out today," Mako said.

"Later, Makoto," Hiroto said. "Just take him to Dr. Yoshida's." Dr. Iori Yoshida was a doctor that lived about a kilometer from the mansion, whose house the students pass to and from the tower for their exercises.

"Okay, papa-san," Mako said as he helped Mori off of the ground. "Let's go, Mori." He then helped him over to the outside door. Hiroto then addressed the class.

"This just goes to show you, class, that despite all that we try to do to make sure none of you are serious injured during your classes," Hiroto said, "accidents _sometimes_ happen." As he was saying that, he glared at Tanaka.

"I, uh…guess I was a little too close to the ropes before I backdropped him," Tanaka said, while sweatdropping a little. He then noticed the sensei entering the ring. He knew what was coming next. "Uh, sensei?"

"Hold still, Tanaka," Hiroto said. He then put the student in an Argentine backbreaker rack, or Torture Rack, Tanaka started screaming almost immediately.

"No wonder they call this the Torture Room," Chitose said to himself.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Maneki Resort and Spa, Hazuki was having her back massaged by a young man, who did not appear to be Japanese. 

"So, where are you from again?" Hazuki asked the masseuse.

"Montreal, Canada," he responded with a French accent. "It's a beautiful city. You should visit it sometime."

"Well, I'm planning a tour of North A…merica soon," Hazuki said as the French-Canadian continued massaging her. "I'll keep that city in mind." After another minute of massaging, Hazuki spoke up again. "How do you say 'magnificent' in French, Mr…?"

"Francois," the masseuse said. "And it's '_magnifique_'."

"Well, you, Francois, are very _magnifique_," Hazuki said.

"_Merci beaucoup, Mademoiselle_," Francois replied.

At another part of the Resort, Fumitsuki was at the entrance for the swimming pool.

"So let me get this straight," Fumitsuki was talking to the clerk at the front desk for the pool, "I have to rent a special swimsuit for the pool?"

"Yes, ma'am," the clerk replied. "Regulations." He then pointed to a sign which read…

NO SWIMMING NAKED IN THE POOL  
IF YOU WANT TO GET NAKED,  
GO TO THE BATHHOUSES

"So, you can't bring your own swimsuit?" Fumitsuki asked.

"That's right," the clerk said.

"Damn it!"

"We do have to take your measurements in order for you to rent a swimsuit."

Sighing, Fumitsuki felt as thought she had on other choice.

"Fine, take my measurements," Fumitsuki said.

Soon, Fumitsuki, now wearing only her bra and panties, was having her measurements taken. First her bust, then her waist, then her hips. (I'm not going to tell you what her measurements are!)

Now, Fumitsuki was entering the pool area, wearing a somewhat revealing bikini, and carrying a pool towel.

"Well, at least I can have the pool to myself right now," Fumitsuki said to herself out loud. She then set her towel down on a nearby bench and began doing some stretches. After about 10 minutes of stretching, she put her glasses down on the towel, walked over to the deep end of the pool, dove in, and started swimming.

Back on one of the massage tables, Francois continued massaging Hazuki.

"You know, Francois said, "this is the first time I have ever massaged a pop star."

"Really?" Hazuki asked.

"Yes," Francois said. He then noticed an older, Japanese woman, approaching him. "It appears that my shift is up, _Mademoiselle_."

"Oh, shoot," Hazuki said. "Just when we were starting to have fun."

"Well, here's my address and phone number," Francois said as he handed a card to Hazuki. "Or, if you can't wait, I'll be in the café at lunch."

"I'll keep that in mind," Hazuki said as she slipped the card underneath her chest. "Well, see ya."

"_Adieu_," Francois said as he left the massage table area and the older woman began massaging Hazuki.

"Trust me," the older woman whispered to Hazuki, "you don't want anything to do with that man."

Meanwhile, in another part of the resort, Minazuki was walking through the sports complex noting the many people playing basketball, volleyball, tennis, squash, and even some playing handball. She then noticed a familiar brunette coming out of one of the squash rooms.

"Man, I hate squash," Mina heard the woman say. She was holding a squash racket.

"Hello," Mina said to the woman.

"Huh?" The woman turned around and faced Mina. "Do I know you?"

"I saw you arguing with the receptionist earlier," Mina said. "How did you get in here?"

"My brother's the manager of this place," she said. "I'm Michiru Akiyama, but everyone calls me Mike."

"I'm Minazuki Rokumatsuri," Mina introduced herself, "or Mina for short."

"Nice to meet you, Mina," Mike said.

"Isn't Mike a boy's name?" Mina asked her.

"It can be a girl's name as well," Mike told her. "Anyways, I was going to play some basketball right now. Do you want to join me?"

"Well, I don't know," Mina said, putting her arms up to her face as she always does. "I'm not very good at basketball."

"It's okay, Mina," Mike said. "You can just watch me shoot some hoops. Come on." The two then walked over to the basketball court, talking while walking. "So…what school do you go to?"

"Koyomi Middle School," Mina answered.

"I went to the Koyomi Campus back when I was younger," Mike said. "I even played on the high school women's basketball team."

"You…did?"

"Yeah," Mike said. "We even came close to winning the city championship one year, but we lost to Azumanga High School. I particularly had a rather infamous rivalry with one of the Azumanga team members whose name I can't even mention at this moment."

"Oh…" Mina wondered.

* * *

Back at the Gokajou mansion, at the game room table, Kazu was busy shuffling the dominoes, Daichi was getting _extremely_ antsy, while Keni was showing Satsuki more of his photos from his 007 World Tour. 

"Where is this at?" Satsuki asked her twin brother.

"That is the Khao Phing Kan island located near Thailand," Keni explained to her. "It's where Francisco Scaramanga's island hideout was located at in 'The Man with the Golden Gun'."

"And there?" Satsuki asked pointing to another picture.

"Oh, that's in Sardinia," Keni said. "It's an Italian island. I stayed at the exact same hotel where Bond and Anya stayed at in 'The Spy Who Loved Me,' and you'll never guess who I saw there."

"Whom?"

"Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach," Kenny said.

"You mean the ex-Beatle and his wife?" Kazu wondered.

"Yep."

"You're kidding me," Kazu said.

"And I even got my picture taken with them," Keni said as he showed them the picture of him standing next to Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach.

"You got them to take a picture with you?" Kazu asked.

"Never mind about that, man," Daichi said, freaking out a little. "Just deal the flipping dominoes!"

"Keep your pants on, Daichi," Kazu said. "Shuffling dominoes is an art form."

"An art form that Dai has absolutely no appreciation for," Satsuki said sarcastically. She then turned back to Kenichi. "So, what about this one?"

"Ah, that is the lovely city of Vienna, Austria," Keni said. "You have got to go to this city, Saki. This particular photo was taken from the top of the famous Riesenrad Ferris Wheel."

"Interesting," Satsuki said. Kazu was still shuffling the dominoes.

"Come on, man!" Daichi said. "Get those damn things shuffled already!"

"You are worse than Keni and his smoking habit when it comes to dominoes," Kazu said. Keni simply ignored his brother's semi-insult.

"And this was in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana," Keni said, showing his sister the picture of him in front of the Bourbon St. street sign. "I tried some of the Cajun cuisine while I was down there, and I absolutely loved it."

"You actually ate Cajun food?" Satsuki said, somewhat disgusted.

"You've got to try it at least once, Saki," Keni said. "Who knows? You may end up liking it."

"Yeah, right," Satsuki said. Just then, Kazu finishing shuffling the (face-down) dominoes.

"Finished," Kazu said.

"Well, it's about damned time!" Daichi said. He was about to select his dominoes, when…

"Freeze!" Kazu said. Daichi's hand was just centimeters from the domino. "We're playing double-nine block, seven bones to start each, and we play to 300."

"Three hundred?" Keni asked. "Isn't that a bit much?"

"All right, we'll play to 150," Kazu said.

"Do we have to play for points?" Satsuki asked. "I mean, I keep forgetting how we're supposed to keep score."

"If you play your last domino, then you score a point for each pip on each bone still held by each of your opponents," Kazu explained. "Or, if there are no possible hands that can be played, then whoever has the lowest hand scores."

"Can we pick the dominoes before I have a stroke, please?" Daichi asked.

"Okay, pick your bones," Kazu said. Each of the siblings then took seven dominoes out of the pile and kept them hidden from their opponents. Kazu then set the other dominoes to the side. "Remember, player with the highest double, or if there are no doubles, highest pip count plays first, then moving clockwise. You are allowed to play off the ends of the doubles. Each new hand begins with the player that wins the last one. Again, 150 points wins the game."

"Can we get on with it now?" Daichi asked.

"Yes," Kazu said.

(I should point out that each of the players is wearing an solid-colored wristband. Going clockwise, Kazu is wearing a red wristband, Daichi is wearing a yellow wristband, Satsuki is wearing a green wristband, and Keni is wearing a blue wristband. You'll find our why later on.)

"Does anyone have a double-nine?" Kazu asked. Satsuki then answered by placing the 9-9 domino in the middle of the table.

"Damn it!" Daichi exclaimed.

"Relax, Dai," Keni said. "I don't have any nines, so I pass."

"Well, I do," Kazu said, as he placed the 0-9 domino next to the 9-9 in the middle. Daichi simply chuckled in response.

"Now…" Daichi said to Satsuki as he placed the 0-3 domino next to the 0-9 domino. "Deal with that." Satsuki replied by placing the 7-9 domino next to the 9-9 in the middle.

"Dealt with it," Satsuki said. Keni then placed the 7-7 domino next to the 7 on the end.

"My favorite domino," Keni said as he put it down.

"Figures," Kazu said as he placed a 7-8 domino on one of the open sevens.

"Damn it!" Daichi exclaimed out loud. "I don't have anything."

"Well, I do," Satsuki said, then she put down the 1-3 domino.

"I noticed that you placed the 7-8 on top of the double-7, so we play cross-doubles?" Keni asked Kazu.

"Yep."

"Thought so," Keni said as he placed the 4-7 on the opposite of the 7-8 placed next to the double-7.

"I guess I should have clarified that earlier," Kazu said, then he put down the double-4.

"Ha-ha," Daichi said. "Found an open spot." He then placed the double-ace down on the table. Satsuki then placed the 4-5 domino next to an open spot.

"Good thing we are playing cross-doubles," Keni said as he placed the 0-4 domino on the table.

"Oh, what to play, what to play, what to play," Kazu pondered while he made his next move.

"Oh, just drop something down, Kazu!" Daichi said impatiently.

"Hold your horses, Daichi," Kazu said. "I need to know what I'm doing. Ah!" He then placed the 5-6 domino on the table.

"Oh, I am SO glad you played a six," Daichi said as he placed the double-six on the table.

"And I'm even gladder that you played the double-six," Satsuki said as she placed down the 2-6 on the table.

"Here comes another double," Keni said as he placed the double-deuce on the table.

"Very interesting game going on here," Kazu said as he placed the deuce-trey domino on the table. Daichi then placed the ace-five domino on the table. Satsuki was pondering her next move, then realized something.

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot." She then placed the 0-2 domino right next to the double-deuce domino.

"We'll definitely need to ask Chitose if he'll want to learn dominoes later today," Keni said as he placed the 3-4 domino on the remaining open section of the double-4 domino.

"Speaking of Chitose…" Kazu said as he placed the 6-8 domino down next to the open eight, "you _are_ going to tell dad about you and him, aren't you, Satsuki?"

"I guess…" Satsuki said, a little bit worried.

"You don't need to worry about a thing, Satsuki," Daichi said as he placed the double-five domino on the table. "I'm sure papa-san will approve of your…relationship with Chitose."

"Well, in that case…" Satsuki said as she placed her last domino, the 2-9, next to the last open part of the double-deuce. "Domino."

"Damn it!" Daichi exclaimed. Kazu then showed his remaining domino to everyone else, which was a zero-ace.

"Well, I've only got one," Kazu said. "Daichi, show us your bones."

"NO!"

"Daichi…" Sighing, Daichi gave up.

"Fine," Dai said as he revealed his last two dominoes, a 5-9 and an ace-6. Kazu then counted the domino pips in his head.

"Well, that's twenty-one there," Kazu said. Keni then showed his dominoes, a zero-6, and a double-trey. "Keni's got twelve. So that's three…one…two…thirty-four points."

"Wait, are you sure you did that correctly?" Daichi asked him.

"9 and 5 if fourteen, plus seven is 21, plus six times two, equals 33, plus one is 34," Kazu explained. He then realized that he didn't have a pad of paper or a pen. "Tommy!" At that moment, Tommy rushed into the room, carrying a toothbrush.

"Yes, Kazu?" Tommy asked him.

"I need a pad of paper and a pen or pencil," Kazu said.

"Do I have to get them for you now?" Tommy whined. "I just finished cleaning all the toilets in this house with this!" He then showed the dirty toothbrush he used to scrub the toilets with. Satsuki andKeni then laughed at him. "Go ahead and laugh, sis. I used _your_ toothbrush." They then stopped laughing, and Satsuki got that angry look on her face.

"YOU ARE SO DEAD!" Satsuki said as she tried to lunge at Tommy, but Keni and Daichi held her back. "LET ME AT HIM! LET ME AT HIM!"

"Satsuki, calm down," Kazu said. "Tommy, get me the pad and pen…now!" Tommy then, reluctantly, left the room to get the pad and pen. A minute later, he returned with the writing implements. By that time, the dominoes were being shuffled by Kazu again. "Put it on the table, Tom." Tommy then put the pad of paper and pen on the table. Kazu then stopped shuffling and wrote the scoreboard on it.

_**Red (Kazu)—0, Yellow (Daichi)—0, Green (Satsuki)—34, Blue (Kenichi)—0**_

"Can I swap places with any of you guys?" Tommy asked them.

"Later," Kazu said. "We need to finish this game first." All the siblings in the game then drew their dominoes.

"Well, can I watch?" Tommy asked.

"You can watch, but don't tell anyone else what dominoes they have," Kazu said.

"I saw that," Keni said. "You tried to take eight dominoes, Dai. And you accuse _me_ of cheating?"

"I wasn't paying attention," Daichi said. "I guess I'm a little upset about Satsuki going first and ending up winning that first hand."

"Well, I've got bad news for you, bro," Kazu said. "Satsuki goes first again."

"Shit," Daichi said.

"I don't have any doubles, Kaz," Satsuki said. Tommy then walked over to Satsuki, and pointed to one of her dominoes.

"Play that one," Tommy said. "That's your highest-ranking one."

"Oh, thanks, Tommy," Satsuki said as she placed the 6-7 domino the middle. "I should be glad you're such a domino expert."

"Hey, no helping her, man," Daichi told Tommy.

"It's all right, Dai," Kazu said. "Satsuki didn't know what to do. Remember, she's a little rusty."

"She wasn't rusty last time," Daichi said.

"Can we just get on with the game?" Satsuki asked everyone.

"Fine," the other brothers said.

"I pass," Keni said.

"Man, don't you have any good dominoes?" Daichi asked.

"Watch it, Daichi, or I'll have Tommy replace you after this game is over," Kazu said.

"Sorry," Daichi said.

Kazu and Daichi both put down their dominoes. Satsuki put down one on the table, then tried to take it back.

"Hey, once it lays, it plays," Daichi said.

"Damn you," Satsuki said. Keni and Kazu then placed their dominoes on the table.

"I hate you," Keni told Kazu after he placed his domino on the table.

The siblings then continue putting their dominoes on the table until Kazu put his last domino on the table.

"Domino," Kazu said.

"Damn!" Daichi exclaimed.

"Not only does he cheat, but he's a poor sport, too," Keni said out loud as he exposed his remaining domino. Satsuki showed her two remaining dominoes, while Daichi showed his one remaining domino. Kazu then counted all the pips, while muttering a bit.

"Twenty-five," Kazu said.

"Are you sure?" Daichi asked him.

"Five, seven, eight, five, that's twenty-five total," Kazu explained. Daichi looked at him like he had just lied to him. "Hey, you can't be a computer technician without being good at math." Kazu then wrote down his score from that round.

_**Red (Kazu)—25, Yellow (Daichi)—0, Green (Satsuki)—34, Blue (Kenichi)—0**_

"Can I switch wristbands with you, Satsuki?" Daichi asked his sister.

"Hell, no," Satsuki told him.

"Crap." Daichi said.

After shuffling, everyone took their dominoes, and Kazu went first.

"Damn, you got my favorite domino," Keni told Kazu as they started the hand.

"So, what exactly did you get arrested for, Daichi?" Satsuki asked her brother.

"Well, I was playing blackjack at the Imperial Palace," Daichi explained, "and I noticed that the dealer kept breaking the rules, so when I confronted him, he called security, and one thing led to another, and I ended up punching the security guard, and I got arrested."

"So, what happened then?" Satsuki asked him.

"I got out with the help of the embassy, but I was barred from the Imperial Palace for a year because of that," Daichi said.

"Only one year?" Kazu said. "They should have banned you for life for something like that."

"Well, I was banned for life at first," Daichi said, "but after I explained the situation to the owner, he shortened it to a year."

"Who hates who now, Keni?" Kazu asked him after Keni put down a domino that he did _not_ want to see. They then continued playing.

"So, that's basically it, Saki," Daichi said.

"You've got to be kidding me," Satsuki said.

"Well, it's true. It's true," Daichi said.

"Did you guys see the picture of me in the Bahamas?" Keni asked the siblings.

"You went to the Bahamas?" Daichi said. "I am so jealous, man."

"You're not the only one," Satsuki said.

"Well, it's true," Keni said. "I actually went to Nassau, and I even went to the part of the Atlantic Ocean where they filmed the climatic underwater battle in 'Thunderball.' Did you guys know that when the explosion of the Disco Volante was so powerful, that they blew out all the windows on Bay Street in Nassau nearly thirty miles away?"

"That must have been a hell of an explosion," Satsuki said.

"It was," Keni said.

"I'm really starting to hate this game," Daichi said.

"No. Really?" Kazu said sarcastically.

"Well, you've got to be lucky when it comes to dominoes if you want to win, big brother," Tommy said.

"Shut up," Daichi said. Kazu then placed down his last domino.

"Domino," Kazu said.

"Not again!" Daichi moaned.

"You want to quit now?" Keni asked him.

"Zip it," Daichi said. The siblings then revealed their dominoes.

"Seven. Twelve. Four. Seven. Nine. That's thirty-nine," Kazu counted.

"Swell," Daichi said.

_**Red (Kazu)—64, Yellow (Daichi)—0, Green (Satsuki)—34, Blue (Kenichi)—0**_

They then started another round of dominoes. Daichi (to his relief and everyone else's annoyance when he started bragging about it) won that round.

_**Red (Kazu)—64, Yellow (Daichi)—22, Green (Satsuki)—34, Blue (Kenichi)—0**_

The fifth round went to Keni.

_**Red (Kazu)—64, Yellow (Daichi)—22, Green (Satsuki)—34, Blue (Kenichi)—31**_

The sixth round went to Keni, who had the lowest hand because there were no possible moves yet.

_**Red (Kazu)—64, Yellow (Daichi)—22, Green (Satsuki)—34, Blue (Kenichi)—71**_

"You guys want me swap with anyone yet?" Tommy asked the siblings.

"Wait until the game is over," Kazu said.

And soon, another round began. Round seven was won by Keni.

"Man, that's three in a row!" Daichi said. "You've got to be cheating, man."

"If I was cheating, Tommy would have called it," Keni said. "Right, T?"

"Right."

**_Red (Kazu)—64, Yellow (Daichi)—22, Green (Satsuki)—34, Blue (Kenichi)—90_**

Round eight was won by Keni, who was on a roll.

**_Red (Kazu)—64, Yellow (Daichi)—22, Green (Satsuki)—34, Blue (Kenichi)—114_**

Round nine had Satsuki ending Keni's winning streak with domino, just when it looked like it would have to go to the hands. Remember, they play until one player reaches 150 points.

_**Red (Kazu)—64, Yellow (Daichi)—22, Green (Satsuki)—41, Blue (Kenichi)—114**_

Round ten had Keni winning again.

"That last round was a temporary setback," he said.

_**Red (Kazu)—64, Yellow (Daichi)—22, Green (Satsuki)—41, Blue (Kenichi)—135**_

"Man, if Keni wins the next hand, he's going to win the whole thing," Daichi said. "Kaz, you should have kept it at 300."

"If he did that, you guys would have been at the table all day, and I wouldn't get a chance to play," Tommy said. He then walked over to Keni as Kazu shuffled the dominoes again. "How _do_ you do it, man?"

"Luck and skill, Tomoki," Kenichi said. "Luck and skill.

Round number eleven. Take a guess who won it?

"Game…set…and match."

"Damn it all to hell!"

_**Final score…**__**Red (Kazu)—64, Yellow (Daichi)—22, Green (Satsuki)—41, Blue (Kenichi)—164**_

"Great game, guys," Satsuki said.

"It's just as I said. Luck and skill," Keni said.

"Funny coming from a guy that lost over 4,000 hands of dominoes throughout his life," Daichi said.

"Enough, guys," Kazu said as he brought all the dominoes to the center of the table. "Hey, Saki, you want to see how Chitose is doing?"

"I'm sure he's fine, Kaz," Satsuki said.

"I said…'Do you want to see how Chitose is doing?'" Satsuki then realized what he was talking about.

"Oh…I get it now," Satsuki said. "Tommy, you can take my place." She then took off the green wristband that was on her left wrist and tossed it to Tommy.

"Thanks, sis," Tommy said as he walked over to Satsuki chair.

"If you'll all excuse me," Satsuki said as she stood up, bowed, then left the room. Tommy then sat in the chair Satsuki was just in.

"So, what are we going to play now?" Tommy asked.

"I believe it's Daichi's turn to pick the game," Kazu said. "Dai?"

"Okay, boys, the game is seven card stud, deuces wild…" Daichi started to say, before Keni started laughing.

"This is dominoes, stupid!" Keni said.

"I knew that," Daichi said. "I was simply joking. The game is double-six Muggins, so that means sevens, eights, and nines out." Tommy and Keni then helped put the sevens, eights, and nines back in the case. "Highest double starts the game, but we move clockwise for each successive hand, and they can place any tile on the board when they start. Oh, and just to make things interesting, we'll play to 400."

* * *

Meanwhile, in Kyoto, the Cosplay Group members were at a train station, pondering their next move. 

"So, where to next?" Shizuka asked.

"Well, we've been to just about every shrine in this city," Yumiko said. "So, what now?" Suzuki then checked his watches on his left wrist.

"It's just about lunchtime," Suzuki said. "So, where do we eat?"

"As long as it's not at one of those fast food restaurants," Yumiko said.

"No pizza, and no Chinese either," Shizuka said.

"Hey, Suzuki," Uzuki said. "You remember that restaurant we went to for our ten-year anniversary?"

"You mean the one that my adoptive uncle runs?" Suzuki asked.

"Yep."

"You seriously want to have the midday meal there?"

"Of course, Suzuki," Uzuki said. "Besides, I've always wanted to eat there again."

"Hold on," Yumiko said. "Isn't that that the restaurant where the waitresses dress up as the girls from Tenchi Muyo?"

"Yes, it is," Uzuki said.

"Did you say…Tenchi Muyo girls?" Shizuka asked, with a very creepy look on her face.

"Forget it. I'm not eating with you guys," Yumiko said. As she was about to turn away, a devil figure appeared before you.

"YOU WILL BE HAVING LUNCH WITH THE COSPLAY GROUP!!" he said. Yumiko started shivering in fear. "OR I WILL STRIP YOU OF YOUR IMMORTAL SOUL!"

"Okay! Okay! I'm going!" Yumiko said. The devil person then snapped his fingers, and transformed back into Takashi Suzuki.

"Great," Suzuki said. "Now, let's get going." Just then, the next subway train pulled into the station. As soon as the doors opened, those that were leaning against it (something you should NOT do in real life) fell out of the train. Other people inside of the train couldn't wait to get out, so they walked over those people. While they were waiting for everyone to get off, Uzuki noticed someone familiar getting of the train. She didn't like what she saw.

"What's wrong, Uzuki?" Shizuka asked.

"That's him," Uzuki said.

"Who?" Yumiko asked.

"One of my stepfathers," Uzuki explained. Suzuki then walked over to Uzuki.

"Which one of them was it?" he asked, very concerned.

"The one that said if it wasn't for my mother, he would kill me on the spot," Uzuki said. "Suzuki, my mom died eight years ago." Soon, the doors were clear, and the people could get on the train now.

"I don't think he saw you," Suzuki said. "Come, let's not worry about it." And with that, all four of them got on the train. When the doors closed, Uzuki checked back on those that had left the train, and noticed her stepfather walking away from the train. However, he quickly glanced back at the train with an evil look on his face. Uzuki started to shudder at his glare.

* * *

Back at the Gokajou mansion, Satsuki had just entered the basement. He found Hiroto and Chitose moving mats by the wrestling rings. Neither Mako nor the students were in the 'Torture Room.' 

"Chitose? Papa-san?" The two guys then noticed the Koyomi Phys. Ed Teacher.

"Oh, hello, Satsuki," Hiroto said. "What brings you down here?"

"I wanted to see how Chitose was doing," Satsuki said. "Where is everyone, by the way?"

"All the students are having lunch," Chitose said, "but Mako had to take one of the students to the emergency room."

"The emergency room?" Satsuki wondered. "What happened?"

"One of the students was backdropped over the top rope, and he landed right on his arm on the floor," Chitose explained. "That's why we're bringing the mats out."

"I see…" Satsuki said. "Papa-san, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Well sure, Satsuki," Hiroto said. "What do you want to talk about?"

"It's about me and Chitose," she said. Hiroto immediately stared at Chitose.

"I'll, uh…I'll be right outside," Chitose said as he was about to leave.

"Freeze!" Chitose immediately stopped. Hiroto then asked his daughter, "What to you mean by you and Chitose, Satsuki?"

"Well, you see…," Satsuki started to explain. "I really don't know how to explain this."

"Then, allow me," Chitose said. "Mr. Gokajou, the thing is…Satsuki's kind of my mother."

"What?"

"Let me explain," Chitose said. "Satsuki had noticed a student, me, that was failing his classes since transferring to Koyomi High School. She then had the idea, after thinking about her mother, to move in with me and become my mother in addition to being a teacher. Turns out four other teachers had the same idea."

"Wait a second. Back up," Hiroto said. "You're telling me that you live with five teachers, including my daughter, that act like mothers towards you as well?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Chitose said. "I know it sounds stupid, but that's what's been happening to me during this past year."

"I'm real sorry for not telling you, Papa-san," Satsuki said sadly. "You're probably going to hate me for this." Hiroto glanced over at Satsuki, then at Chitose again.

"Chitose, could you bring me that chair over there?" Hiroto asked him. "I kind of have bad knees."

"Sure thing, Mr. Gokajou," Chitose said. He then walked over to a folding chair and brought it over to him. He unfolded it and set it on the floor for Hiroto to sit on.

"Saki," Satsuki then looked at her father, who was sitting in the chair so that he could see eye to eye with her, "_nothing_ that you do will make me hate you. _Nothing_."

"Papa-san…"

"Come here," Hiroto said, gesturing for her to come to stand next to him. Satsuki then walked over and stood in front of her father. "Satsuki, I want you to know that I will always love you, no matter what you do. Okay?"

"Okay," Satsuki said, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Give your father a hug," Hiroto said. Satsuki the embraced her father for a minute or so.

"Papa-san?"

"Yes?"

"I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone outside of the family about this," Satsuki told her father.

"You have my word," Hiroto said. "Wait a second…you told your brothers before you told me?"

"Well…" Chitose was the one that spoke this time. "The thing about that was I was talking to Mama Gokajou at the memorial, and Kazu overheard me. Then, this morning, he told Daichi, Keni, and Tommy, and when Satsuki found out about that, she put me in a chokehold before Kazu told her to stop." Hiroto then glared at his daughter, while she laughed nervously. "Then, just before you came in, I told Mako about it."

"So, all of my sons knew about this before you two decided to tell me?" Hiroto asked the both of them.

"Well…" both of them said uneasily.

"It's all right," Hiroto said. "I won't force either of you in a painful submission hold." Both of them had a huge sigh of relief. At that moment, Mako entered through the outside door.

"Hey, guys," Mako greeted them.

"Hey, Mako," Chitose and Satsuki said.

"Makoto, how is Mori?" Hiroto asked his son.

"Well, the doctors are still x-raying his arm, but I can tell you right now, he'll have to wear a cast for quite a while," Mako said.

"Just what we need, another Cowboy Bob Orton," Hiroto said dryly. "I'm going to go check on everyone upstairs. I'll be right back." And with that, he headed for the stairs.

"Who's Cowboy Bob Orton?" Chitose asked Mako.

"I'll tell you later," Mako replied. "Hey, Satsuki, we've got about ten minutes before the students get back. You want to join me in the ring?"

"Are you kidding me?" Satsuki said. "I'll be right there." She then started unzipping her tracksuit jacket and removed it. She then removed her pants, revealing herself in a black sports bra and black spandex shorts. She then went into the wrestling ring, where Mako had already taken his tank top and headband off.

"Don't expect me to go easy on you this time," Mako said.

"You are going down, Makoto," Satsuki said.

"Let's get it on," Mako said. They both bowed to each other then took fighting stances before going at it. Chitose watched the two of them wrestle from the outside. He didn't know that Hiroto had gone back into the basement.

"I see they're going at it again," Hiroto said.

"Huh?"

"Sorry if I started you," Hiroto apologized. "They've been doing this sort of thing ever since they were kids." The two then continued Satsuki and Mako wrestling.

"Sensei Gokajou?"

"Yes, Chitose?"

"Did Satsuki walk through the house barefoot when she was younger?" Chitose asked him."

"Oh yes, Chitose," Hiroto replied. "I don't know where she got the idea from, but even when she was younger, she always felt comfortable being barefoot the confines of her own home. Why? Is she barefoot at your house, Chitose?"

"Yeah," Chitose replied.

"I do have a question for you, Chitose," Hiroto asked him. Chitose had that nervous look on his face. "Who are these other teachers that moved in with you?"

"Well…" Chitose then took out the Hitotose family photo and handed it to Hiroto. Hiroto took a good long, look at it.

"So, who are these people, Chitose?" Hiroto asked.

"Well, that's Uzuki Shitennou," Chitose explained. "She's the art teacher at Koyomi High School, and you should definitely see her and Satsuki's arguments at dinnertime."

"Verbal or physical?" Hiroto asked him.

"Sometimes both," Chitose replied. He then pointed to another teacher-mom. "That's Kisaragi Ninomai. She's the chemistry teacher. If you think she looks weird just by looking at this photo, trust me…she is."

"I'll keep that in mind," Hiroto said. Chitose then pointed to another teacher-mom.

"That's Mutsuki Ichimonji with the glasses," Chitose said. "She's my homeroom teacher, and I guess you could say she's the ringleader of all the moms. Next to her is Yayoi Sanzenin. She's the school nurse, but sometimes I wonder if she's really a witch doctor. Don't tell her I said that, because she'd kill me if ever she found out about that." Chitose then noticed Hiroto muttering to himself. "Sensei Gokajou?" Hitoro somewhat ignored him and called out his daughter.

"Hey, Satsuki!"

"Yeah?" Satsuki was distracted by her father, allowing Mako to take her leg out from under her and as soon as she was on her belly, applied a Stepover Toehold Facelock on her.

"Rule number one—never turn your back on your opponent," Mako said as he was applying more force on his facelock.

"Makoto, let her go!" Hiroto shouted. "Makoto!" Reluctantly, Mako let go of his submission hold.

"I had you," Mako said to Satsuki.

"You had nothing," Satsuki said as she was checking her facial features for injuries.

"You okay?" Mako asked her.

"I'm fine, no thanks to you," Satsuki said."

"Hey, that time I broke your arm was an accident, Saki," Mako told her.

"Yeah?" Satsuki said. "Well, one of these days, I'm going to break your neck…on purpose." She then rolled out of the ring and walked over to her father.

"Makoto, don't tempt your sister," Hiroto said.

"Sorry, Papa-san," Mako said, bowing.

"Did you need me, Papa-san?" Satsuki asked him.

"Yes," Hiroto said. "Chitose told me about the other teachers. Didn't you once room with Mutsuki and Yayoi after you graduated from college?

"Yeah," Satsuki said. "I only lived with them for about a year or so."

"And if I remember correctly, you once spent six months living with Uzuki," Hiroto said.

"Don't remind me," Satsuki said, glaring a little. At that moment, Miyagi entered the room, finished with his lunch break. "Crap!" She then ran over to her tracksuit and starting putting the clothes on.

"Hey, everyone," Miyagi said. He then noticed Satsuki. "So, you must be the Sensei's daughter." He then turned to Chitose. "You are one lucky son of a bitch, man."

"Bug off," Satsuki told him.

"Miyagi, sit down on the floor," Hiroto told his student.

"Yes, Sensei," Miyagi said, bowing before heading over to his 'seat.' Satsuki, now fully dressed in her tracksuit, walked over to Chitose and Hiroto.

"I'm going to go upstairs to take a shower, and then I'm going to nap for a bit," Satsuki said. "I'll see you guys later."

"See you, Satsuki," Hiroto said.

"Hey, Satsuki?"

"Yes, Chitose?"

"Is it true that Mako broke your arm once?" he asked her.

"It happened when I was 14, and I will not discuss it anymore," she said before heading up the stairs. Chitose then turned to Hiroto.

"What exactly happened with Satsuki and Mako?" Chitose asked him.

"I'll explain it, Chitose," Mako said after putting on his tank top. "When we were younger, Saki and I were wrestling, and I ended up landing right on her arm." While he was explaining, he was readjusting his hair. "She had to wear a cast for three whole months."

"Ouch!" Chitose said.

* * *

Back at the resort and spa, Hazuki was continually being massaged by the old woman. 

"Your hour is almost up, ma'am," she said.

"Are your hands tired?" Hazuki asked.

"No, ma'am."

"Give me another hour," Hazuki said.

"Yes, ma'am," the old lady said, continuing to massage the pop star.

Meanwhile, Fumitsuki was now entering the women's public bath house. She had a towel wrapped around her body, and wearing her glasses. She entered the warm, relaxing water, sighing in relief. She then looked around and found that she was the only person in the bath.

"Well, since I'm the only one in here…" she then removed her towel and placed it on the edge of the bath deck. She then took off her glasses, put them on the towel, and began to relax in the bath. After a few minutes of relaxing, she didn't notice the door opening, and someone else entering the bath house.

"Hey, Fumitsuki!" Fumitsuki immediately snapped out of her relaxation and reached for her glasses. She put them on and noticed that it was Minazuki who entered the bath house. Mina had her hair down, and was covering the front of her body with the towel.

"M-Mina?"

"I thought you could use some company," Mina said, smiling. She then walked around the edge of the bathing pool before dropping her towel right next to Fumitsuki's. Fumitsuki had a nervous look on her face as Mina stepped into the bath and sat down right next to her. "What's wrong, Fumitsuki?"

"I, uh…I'm not too comfortable being naked in front of other people," Fumitsuki explained, blushing a little.

"It's okay, Fumitsuki," Mina said. "Besides…we're the only two people here."

"That's true…for now," Fumitsuki said.

"Let's just relax here for a while," Mina said before closing her eyes and relaxing.

_I do need to relax a little_, Fumitsuki thought to herself.

* * *

Is it just me, or are these chapters getting longer? 

Notes: Here's an interesting factoid—Lee Eddy, the actress that voices Satsuki for the English version of "Happy Lesson," is from the great state Louisiana, known for its Cajun cuisine. I don't know if she actually likes Cajin food, but if she does, I apologize, Lee.

Take a wild guess on any anime cameos there are in this chapter.

Cowboy Bob Orton was a wrestler that, for a period in the mid-1980s, wore a cast on his forearm due to an injury he sustained during a match. He would often use that cast as a foreign object during his matches. His son, Randy Orton, is, at the time of this chapter's original posting, the reigning WWE Champion.

If you have any questions on dominoes, consult a website (such as Wikipedia) for more information.

Now, for the next two chapters, Chapter 11 will focus entirely on Chitose and the Gokajous, while Chapter 12 will focus entirely on everyone else (Mutsuki and her problems, Yayoi and her…somewhat reluctant partner, Uzuki and the Cosplay Group, Kisaragi and Kanna, and of course…Fumitsuki and the sisters).

This segment of "Five Questions" features the patriarch of the Gokajou family, Hiroto "Giant" Gokajou.

_What made you decide to become a professional wrestler?  
_You know, you're the first person to ever ask me that question, and I don't know if I have an answer to that. What I can say is that I started training right outside of college, and within a year or so, I had my first professional match.

_You're very tall for a Japanese man. I'm curious, how tall are you, and what was the largest you were at?  
_Yes, I do get a lot of attention for my height. Well, I'm 203 centimeters, or about 6 feet, 8 inches for you Americans. As for my weight, well, the largest I was at was about 145 kilograms, or around 320 pounds. Right now, I'm at 120 kilos, or about 265 pounds. And I was very agile for a 320-pound man, kind of like how The Undertaker is nowadays.

_What do you enjoy more, wrestling or your family?  
_There's an old saying—family comes first. That's pretty much my answer right there.

_Was it hard on you at times being on the road for an extended period of time away from your family?  
_Yes, especially after I got married and had six wonderful children. It was actually a year or so after Makoto, my fifth child, was born, that I started thinking about calling it quits on my in-ring career, because I had suffered a severe knee injury, and I realized that I truly missed my family. Around 1980, I retired as a full-time wrestler, but I still give to the wrestling business. In fact, I train wrestlers to this very day. And right now, Mako is planning on becoming a professional wrestler.

_Are you in favor of your son becoming a professional wrestler?  
_Absolutely, 100 yes.

That was a tough one, because I had a hard time picking which five questions to use for this incredible man. Well, until then, R and R.


	11. Dominoes and Pizza

Disclaimer: I do not own "Happy Lesson," its characters or concepts.

One thing I forgot to mention about the previous chapter. The "Nintendo Challenge" is a (fictitious) competition between four teams of two kids (between ages 10 and 14) that test their mental ability, their physical agility, and their video game skill. The first Nintendo Challenge was held in 1988, and has since been an annual event. The 1994, 1995, and 1996 events were international competitions, featuring kids from the United States, Great Britain, Japan, and Australia.

I should also mention that this chapter will only mainly feature Chitose and the Gokajou family. If you want to see any of the other major characters, then you'll have to wait until chapter twelve. Until then, please enjoy the following.

Oh, reader discretion is advised, and certain celebrities have been impersonated. Let's get that clear.

* * *

Chitose had just walked back up the basement steps onto the first floor. He then walked into the game room where Kazu, Daichi, Tommy, and Keni were playing dominoes. 

"Game, set, and match," Keni said, placing the last domino on the table.

"Damn it!" Daichi said.

"That makes it what, four games he's won today?" Tommy asked sarcastically.

"I hate both of you," Dai said.

"Hey, guys," Chitose greeted them.

"Oh, hey, Chi," Kazu said. "We just finished a game here. How was the Torture room?"

"Definitely lives up to its name," Chitose said. "One of the students was backdropped over the top rope, and he broke his arm when he landed on the floor."

"Ouch!" Keni said.

"That_ definitely_ had to hurt," Tommy said.

"So, how are _you_ feeling?" Daichi asked.

"A little sore…but I managed to make it back up the stairs okay," Chitose said.

"HA! Thought so, man!" Tommy said. He then turned to Daichi. "Give me my money!" Daichi reluctantly gave him three 500 yen coins.

"I'm going to go out for a bit," Daichi said as he took off the yellow wristband. "Tell Mako I'm taking his car."

"I'm not sure he'd like that," Kazu said. "You know how he feels about other people driving his car."

"It's an RX-7, Kaz," Daichi said. "He's not going to miss it _that_ much. I'll see you guys later." He then left the room, but not before stopping to talk to Chitose. "If I were you, I'd watch TV than play dominoes against that guy right there." He pointed to Kenichi before heading out.

"What's his problem?" Chitose asked them.

"He's just upset over the fact that he lost game after game," Kazu said.

"Aw, man, I've got to grab a smoke," Keni said, taking off his blue wrist band. "I'll be right back, though. NOBODY take my spot, okay?"

"Got it, Keni," Kazu said. Keni then left the room to go smoke outside. "You want to sit in Dai's chair, Chitose?"

"I don't know," Chitose said. "I've never really played dominoes before."

"Don't worry, Chi. I'll teach you," Kazu said.

"I'll see you guys later," Tommy said as he was about to remove his green wristband before leaving.

"Freeze!" Tommy stayed in his seat after Kazu shouted at him. "You're staying right here, Tomoki Gokajou."

"Damn."

"Please, have a seat, Chitose," Kazu said. Chitose then sat down in the chair between Kazu and Tommy. "Be sure to put the wristband on your left wrist."

"Why?"

"It's a tradition of the Gokajou Family Domino Games, Chi," Tommy said. "It's a stupid one, but a tradition nonetheless."

"You see, if one of us doesn't want to play anymore, and someone else wants to take their place, they give him the wristband and take their seat," Kazu explains.

"Oh…okay," Chitose said. He then put on the yellow wristband.

"Now, since this is basically your first game, we're going to play double-six draw, because it's one of the easiest to learn," Kazu said. "Now, this is a double-nine set, but you can use double-six games with it, as we're about to do now. I just basically leave the sevens, eights, and nines in the case while I take the other dominoes out." Kazu then placed all the appropriate dominoes onto the table. "Tommy, why don't you shuffle the dominoes while I explain the game to Chitose?"

"Sure," Tommy said.

"Be sure to turn them all face down before you start, though," Kazu reminded him.

"I know how to shuffle dominoes, Kaz," Tommy said. He then started shuffling the dominoes.

"Now, Chitose," Kazu started to explain. "There's a reason Tommy's shuffling the bones face down, but I'll get to that in a second. Once Tommy's done shuffling the bones, we'll each take five dominoes, making sure not to show any of them to or opponents." He then takes out the double-9 domino. "Once that happens, the player with the double-six plays their bone in the middle of the table."

"That's a double-nine, Kaz," Chitose pointed out.

"Just listen to me on this," Kazu said. "If no one has a double-six, then the player with the double-five plays first, or if no one has it, then the double-four, the double-trey, and so on. If no one has a double, then the player with the highest-ranking domino plays first. In this set, the 6-5 five is the highest-ranking non-double, and if no one has that, then the 6-4 is played, if not, then 6-3, and so on. Once the first domino is played, then the next player, on the original player's left, either plays a domino that matches one of the sides like this…" He then places the 9-0 domino next to the 9-9 domino. "…or he draws from the boneyard."

"Boneyard?" Chitose wondered.

"Kind of like drawing a card you don't have in Go Fish," Kazu explained.

"Oh."

"Also, note that you can play from either side of the double," Kazu said. "Are you listening, Tomoki?"

"Yes," Tommy said, as he was just finishing his shuffling.

"I'll explain more of the game as we go along, Chi," Kazu said. "Looks like Tommy's done with the shuffling, so we'll each draw five dominoes." The three men/boys then did so. Kazu then moved the other dominoes, or the boneyard, to the spot where Keni sat a few moments ago. "Well, since Keni's not here, we'll just move the boneyard here for this game." They then checked their dominoes. "Anyone have a double-six?" Nobody said anything.

"No, but I have a double-five," Tommy said as he placed the double-five domino in to the center of the table to start the game.

"Damn, I don't have anything," Kazu said. He then drew a domino from the boneyard, but noticed that it wasn't one that he needed. "Damn." The next one that he draw was the one that he needed. "Yes!" he then played the 5-1 domino on the table. "Your turn, Chitose."

"So, I have to play something that matches either one of the three fives, or the one on the end there," Chitose said.

"We call it an ace in dominoes, Chi, but that's basically right," Tommy said.

"Okay," Chitose said. "I'll play this." He then placed the ace-zero domino on the table.

"Good move, Chi," Tommy said. "I can't play any of my bones, so I have to draw from the boneyard." Tommy then drew a double-ace from the boneyard. "Ah, damn, that one would have been good a few moments ago." He then drew another domino from the boneyard, one that he needed. "Ha!" He then placed the 6-5 domino across from the 5-1. "This is why I am the domino master."

"Only for so long, Thomas," Kazu said as he played the 6-4 domino.

"Let's see…" Chitose said out loud, then played the double-four domino, but he placed it the wrong way.

"Uh, Chi, you have to play doubles perpendicular to the other ones," Tommy said. "Like this." He then adjusted it so that the double was cross from the 6-4. "You're starting to get good at this, Chi. You've got the least amount of bones left, and I have to draw again." Tommy then drew a domino. "Ah!" He then played the zero-trey.

"So, are you learning something new, Chitose?" Kazu asked as he placed the trey-deuce on the field.

"Definitely," Chitose said, as he played the five-deuce domino. "I may have to tell everyone else about this."

"Damn it!" Tommy said, meaning he had to draw another one from the boneyard.

"You're starting to turn into Daichi, Tommy," Kazu said.

"I am not!" Tommy said, then put his five-trey on the ending five.

"I don't know what's worse, another Tommy or another Daichi," Kazu said as he placed the four-deuce on the table. Chitose then placed the five-zero domino on the middle double-five.

"Man, I missed that!" Tommy said. "But at least I've got somewhere to play." He then placed the six-trey on the field.

"This is definitely getting interesting," Kazu said as he placed the double-deuce on the field, crosswise, of course. "Your move, Chitose."

"Hmm," Chitose pondered his move before placing the double-zero domino on the field. Tommy was about to place the ace-deuce on the field, when he noticed something.

"Wait a minute!" Tommy said. "That was your last domino. You little bastard!"

"Watch it, Tomoki," Kazu said. "Well, since you played your last domino, Chitose, that means you score first."

"Score?" Chitose was confused.

"Let me explain," Kazu said. "Since you played the last domino, you earn points based on the value of our remaining dominoes." Kazu then showed his dominoes to Chitose, the ace-four and the zero-six. "Well, you get eleven points from me, and…" Tommy had turn turned over his dominoes (ace-trey, ace-deuce, ace-six, double ace). "Four and three, that's seven, plus seven is fourteen, add two, sixteen, plus mine…you scored 27 points, Chitose." Kazu then score down a new scoreboard for the game…

**_Red (Kazu)—0, Yellow (Chitose)—27, Green (Tommy)—0_**

"Hold on a sec," Kazu said, going over the points again in his head. "Yeah, I got it right." At that moment, Daichi showed up.

"Well, that was quick," Tommy said sarcastically. "Where'd you do?"

"Nowhere," Daichi said, still somewhat miffed. "Mako caught me trying to hotwire his car, and he threatened to piledrive me on the cement if I even attempted to do that again. So, how'd the rookie do? Did you blow him out of the water?"

"Actually, Chitose pretty much kicked our butts," Kazu said, shuffling the dominoes.

"WHAT?!" Daichi had that angry look in his face. "Let me at him! Let me at him!"

"Freeze!" Tommy said. "We're in the middle of a game here. When it's over, you can join in. And don't even THINK about taking Keni's seat."

"Damn," Daichi said out loud. "Can I watch, then?"

"Sure," Kazu said. "In fact, why don't you sit behind Chitose? You can give him a few pointers, not that he'll need any." Daichi then grabbed a nearby chair and sat down behind Chitose.

"So, Kaz, what other kinds of domino games are there?" Chitose asked him.

"Well, there's Block, which is just like Draw, except that you can't draw any more dominoes. You have to play with the ones you already have," Kazu explained. "There's Muggins, a somewhat more difficult game. And there, you have 42. And Chi, sitting right behind you, is perhaps the best 42 player that I know." Chitose then turned around to face a grinning Daichi.

"I'll give you some very good chips, Ti," Daichi said.

"Did you just call me Ti?" Chi said.

"Sorry. Tip of the slongue," Dai said.

"Humerus," Chitose said dryly.

"Okay, all done," Kazu said. "Draw 'em." And with that, all the players drew their dominoes. "Now, since you won that last hand, Chi, you get to go first. Remember, highest double or highest tile."

"Hold on, how many points are we playing to?" Tommy asked.

"You're right, I forgot to say," Kazu said. "We'll play to 100 since it's Chitose's first game.

"That's fine with me," Tommy said.

"That's your highest double, Chi," Daichi said as he pointed to the double-zero in Chitose's hand.

"Are you sure?" Chitose asked him.

"Trust me," Daichi said.

"Mako said the same thing to me, and I'm in barely walking because of it," Chitose said as he played the double-zero.

"So, what are we going to have for dinner tonight?" Tommy asked as he placed the zero-five on the field.

"I don't know yet," Kazu said as he placed the five-deuce on the field. "What would you like, Chitose?"

"Huh?"

"I asked what you wanted for dinner tonight."

"I don't know yet," Chitose said as he placed the zero-six on the field.

"Booyah!" Tommy said as he put down the double-six.

"Who are you, Kevin Van Dyke?" Kazu asked his youngest brother.

"I don't even know who the hell that is," Tommy said.

"He's an Ultimate Boxer," Kazu said as he placed the 6-4 on the table. "One of the greatest."

"Well, how great is he?" Chitose asked as he placed the 4-zero domino on the board.

"He happens to be the longest-reigning United States Champion in Ultimate Boxing history," Kazu said as Tommy placed the deuce-trey domino on the field. "Ironic, because he's from Canada." He then placed the six-trey bone on the board.

"Aw, man, you don't have anything, so you're going to have to draw," Daichi said, looking over Chi's dominoes.

"I knew that," Chitose said as he drew a bone from the yard. He drew a double-trey.

"That's not going to help you, Chi," Daichi said.

"I know that, Dai. Stop pestering me," Chitose said, very aggravated, as he drew another bone. "Ah!" He then placed the zero-ace domino next to the double-zero.

"If this guy's so good, why wasn't he the World champ?" Tommy asked as he placed the ace-four on the board.

"He was…four times," Kazu said as he placed the four-deuce on the board.

"He won the World Heavyweight Championship four times?" Chitose said, as he placed the ace-deuce domino on the table. "That's got to be a record."

"Nah," Kazu said. "Johnny Montana holds the record with five world titles." Tonny then placed the zero-deuce domino on the starting bone.

"Domino," Tommy said.

"Looks like you won that one, little bro," Kazu said as he counted the remaining dominoes. "Thirteen points."

_**Red (Kazu)—0, Yellow (Chitose)—27, Green (Tommy)—13**_

"So, Kaz, can you tell me more about Ultimate Boxing?" Chitose said.

"Well, Chi, have you ever seen a wrestling match?" Kazu asked him as he was shuffling the dominoes.

"Yeah, a couple of times," Chitose said.

"Have you ever seen a boxing match?"

"Once, when Satsuki forced me to watch it with her," Chitose said.

"Then, that's all you need to know," Kazu said. "I'm kidding, Chi. I'm kidding. It actually started out as an independent boxing promotion, but over the years, it's leaned more towards wrestling. The basic ways to win a match are…

Number one, pinfall—when one has his opponent's shoulders on the mat for a referee's three count.

Number two, submission—when your opponent taps out while locked in a submission hold. If one passes out while locked in a submission hold, it is classified as a knockout.

Number three, countout—when someone is outside of the ring for a referee's count of ten.

Number four, disqualification—when someone intentionally or continually breaks the rules during a match.

And number five, and most importantly—the referee can stop a match when one of the participants is deemed to injured too continue.

Did you get all that, Chi?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Chitose said. "I know a bit about being disqualified in a competition. During last year's sports festival, I was on the white team, while Satsuki was on the red team." Kazu had stopped shuffling the dominoes, and everyone took five bones. "We're doing a three-legged race, and Satsuki had the crazy idea of racing with me. We won, but we ended up being DQ'd because we were on opposite teams."

"Where in the world would she get a stupid idea like that?" Tommy asked Chitose as he put the double-four in the middle of the board.

"Hey, I heard that!" Satsuki called out from down the hall.

"Actually, it was all the moms' idea," Chitose said as Kazu drew the four-trey domino from the boneyard and put it on the board. "They wanted me to be the MVP of the Sports Fest, even though I had no desire to even compete in the damn thing." Chitose then put the six-trey bone on the board.

"Why didn't you want to compete in the Sports Fest, Chitose?" Kazu asked him as Tommy put the four-ace domino on the table.

"I thought the games were stupid," Chitose said as Kazu put the double-ace on the board. "I mean, don't you guys remember competing in the Sports Fest?"

"Yeah. I'd rather be put in one of Papa-san's holds than participate in those stupid games," Tommy said.

"You said it," Chitose said as he put the ace-six domino next to the double-ace.

"If I had to choose between having to watch Gone With the Wind back-to-back-to-back and competing in the Sports Fest, what do you think I would pick?" Tommy said as he put the four-zero next to the double-four.

"I see what you mean," Chitose said.

"The Sports Fest isn't all that bad, Chitose," Kazu said as he put down the zero-six next to the open zero. "You'd be surprised how well I did when I was your age."

"I don't walk to talk about it anymore," Chitose said as he drew a domino from the yard. He didn't get what he wanted, so he drew another one. "Aha!" He put down the double-six next to the ace-six.

"Man, that's the best bone you could have gotten, man," Tommy said. He then drew from the boneyard. "Ha!" He then put down the six-four next to the double-four. "Deal with that!" Kazu then put down the six-two next to the six-four.

"Deal with _that_," Kazu said. Chitose replied by putting down the deuce-zero.

"Damn," Tommy said before he drew from the boneyard. He placed the bone he drew, the ace-zero, on the board.

"Hey, why don't we have pizza for tonight?" Daichi asked.

"That did cross my mind, actually," Kazu said as he put down the ace-five next to the ace-zero.

"I haven't had pizza in such a long time," Chitose said as he put down the zero-five. "I'd love to have some tonight."

"Same here," Tommy said as he drew another bone from the yard. "Damn!" He drew another one. "DAMN! Oh, wait a second." He put down the trey-zero on the board. "I almost forgot about that."

"Don't do that again, Tomoki," Kazu said as he drew from the boneyard. He put the domino he drew, the six-five, next to the double-six. Chitose then put the ace-trey on the board.

"I'll do whatever I want, Hirokazu," Tommy said as he put down the five-four.

"Damn you," Kazu said. He drew another bone from the yard, the double-trey. "Damn it!" He drew another one. "Ah!" He then placed the four-deuce on the table.

"You guys curse a lot when you play dominoes," Chitose said as he drew a bone from the yard. "And I can understand why." He drew another one, the ace-deuce, which he placed next to the deuce.

"This is the most aggravating game of dominoes I have ever played in my life," Tommy said as he drew the last bone from the yard. "Damn it!"

"Welcome to my world," Daichi said.

"I don't have anything," Kazu said. "You have anything, Chi?"

"Nope," Chitose said.

"Okay, let's count our dominoes," Kazu said as he flipped over his dominoes. "I have thirteen total." (double-trey, five-deuce) Daichi counted the pips for Chitose.

"What are you doing?" Chitose asked Daichi.

"Since none of you have a playable domino, then whoever has the lowest hand wins the round. You have ten." (double-five, double-zero)

"Oh," Chitose said. Tommy the counted his bones.

"I've got seventeen," Tommy said. (five-trey, trey-deuce, double deuce) "So, I guess Chitose wins that one.

"What do you know? The rookie wins again," Daichi said.

"Huh?" Chitose wondered.

"You get the points that Tommy and I have, Chitose, since you have the lowest-ranking hand," Kazu said. "That's 30 points added to yellow, so that brings you to 57."

Red (Kazu)—0, Yellow (Chitose)—57, Green (Tommy)—13

"Whoa, you're almost halfway to winning this thing, Chi," Dai said.

"You're definitely getting good at this, Chitose," Kazu said as he began shuffling the dominoes again.

"Thanks," Chitose said. "I'm definitely going to show it to the other moms when I get back." Tommy started laughing at that. "What's so funny?"

"Sorry, Chi," Tommy said. "I just find it hard to believe that five beautiful women are living with a guy like you. I envy you, man."

"It's not all fun and games, Tommy," Chitose said. "One time, when I was doing cleaning duty at school, I accidentally scrubbed Satsuki's face, so she threw me right into a bucket of water."

"Oh, my God!" Kazu exclaimed.

"She really lost it, huh?" Daichi wondered.

"Yeah," Chitose said. "I just cannot handle water, even after God knows how many of Satsuki's special lessons I've had." Kazu was done shuffling and the players took their bones. "I can't tell you how many times I've almost died since the teachers have moved into my life." Chitose then played the double-deuce to start the round.

"Come on, Chi," Tommy said as he drew a domino. "It can't be all that bad." He drew another…and another. "Damn you!" He drew a double-six, and it started to piss him off. Then he drew a six-trey. "Come on! Give me a goddamned deuce!" He then drew a four-deuce. "Finally!" He played it on the board.

"Man, calm down," Kazu said as he played the four-trey. "You were bound a deuce hit one sooner or later."

"Yeah, you're only 18, man," Daichi said. "Don't have a heart attack." Chitose then played the five-deuce.

"I hope I don't have to draw again for a while," Tommy said as he played the six-five.

"I know this for sure," Kazu said as he played the zero-trey, "whoever wins this hand is going to get a lot of points.

"Definitely," Daichi said as Chitose played the double-zero. "Good play, man."

"Thanks," Chitose said.

"Now…" Tommy said as he placed the double-six on the board, "deal with that." Kazu placed the zero-five on the board.

"Dealt with it," Kazu said.

"I had no idea that a simple game of dominoes could be so intense," Chitose said as he placed the zero-deuce on the opening double.

"Yeah," Tommy said as he played the six-four. "It can get really annoying when you go through six dominoes before you finally get the bone you want."

"I agree with that," Kazu said as he placed the double-five on the table. Chitose then put down his last domino, the ace-four.

"Domino," Chitose said.

"I hate you," Tommy said to Chitose.

"Well, I've got two," Kazu said. He then counted the many, many dominoes that Tommy had. "Four, seven, eleven, six, seventeen, six, twenty-three, eight, thirty-one, nine, forty, nine…forty-nine. You won, Chitose."

Final score…Red (Kazu)—0, Yellow (Chitose)—106, Green (Tommy)—13

"Wow, I won my first game," Chitose said.

"Okay, I get to play now," Daichi said as he stood up and began moving his seat. At that moment, Keni came in, carrying a bag in his hand.

"Hey, guys."

"Hey,Keni," Chitose said. "I won my first game of dominoes."

"Oh, you did?" Keni said. "Well, congratulations."

"What's in the bag, Ken?" Kazu asked.

"I was a little thirsty, so I went to the store and got some ramune."

"Ramune?" Chitose asked.

"Don't worry, it's not alcoholic," Keni said. He then saw Daichi heading over to him. "Don't even think about it."

"About what?"

"You were planning on taking my seat, weren't you?" Keni asked him.

"No, I wasn't," Daichi said.

"Dai, you're sitting between Keni and me," Kazu said. "I'll go and get the purple wristband."

"Do I have to wear purple?" Daichi moaned.

"Yes," everyone else said.

"Damn." Kazu then stood up from his seat and went to get some more wristbands.

"So, Chitose," Keni said as he has took a ramune bottle out of the bag, "you won your very first game of dominoes?"

"Yes, sir," Chitose said.

"Impressive,"Keni said as he sat down in his chair, ramune bottle in hand. "You know I won four games in row today?"

"I kind of heard that when I came in earlier," Chitose said. He then noticed the album in the corner of the table. "Hey, what's that?"

"This…is my 007 World Tour album," Keni said as he opened the album to show Chitose some pictures of him at various James Bond locations. "That's me in Udaipur, that's in India. It's where they filmed portions of the film "Octopussy"." Chitose blushed as soon as he heard that. "And here I am in Egypt, by the Pyramids at Giza. I was there when they had the light show when they lit up the pyramids at night. And over here is Venice, in Italy. There were no gondolas running through St. Mark's Square that day." Daichi gave him a dirty look. "Did you no that there are no motorcars in Venice, Chitose?"

"I didn't know that," Chitose said.

"Ah, this…this is the Piz Gloria mountaintop restaurant in Switzerland,"Keni continued going through the album. "I actually had dinner there one night. And this is Mount Asgard on Baffin Island in Canada. I actually flew up there from Montreal with the guy that performed the famous ski-parachute jump in "The Spy Who Loved Me"."

"A guy actually skied off of the mountain for a movie?" Chitose askedKeni.

"Yep,"Keni said. "That stunt was, undoubtedly, one of the most dangerous stunts in the history of filmmaking. If you watch the film, you can see one of the skis that the stuntman took off while he was in mid-air graze his parachute."

"Wow, that is dangerous!" Chitose said.

"Have you ever gone skiing, Chitose?" Keni asked him.

"Yeah, I have," Chitose said. "It's actually something I wanted to talk to you guys about, but I'll wait until Kazu gets here."

"What did you want to talk about Chitose?" Kazu had just entered the room with two wristbands in his hands.

"It's about the time I went on a skiing trip with my family," Chitose said as Kazu walked over to his chair and handed Daichi the purple wristband. He then set the orange wristband on the table.

"What happened on the ski trip, Chitose?" Kazu asked him.

"Well, Satsuki and I got separated from the rest of the group, and we ended up being caught in a blizzard," Chitose said. "We even got caught on a rock that collapsed and we fell deeper into the mountain. We both miraculously survived, but Satsuki twisted her ankle when we landed. She tried to walk it off, but after collapsing, I told her to climb on my back."

"Man, that must have been tough on you," Tommy said. "Carrying a heavy girl like her on your back for an extended period." Keni then smacked him in the back of the head. "Ow! What was that for?"

"For being an idiot," Keni said. "Continue, Chitose."

"Thank you. Lucky for us, before the blizzard got worse, we found a cabin and made shelter there," Chitose continued. Kazu began shuffling the dominoes while Chitose was talking. "It was there that Satsuki told me that she wanted to be just as good a mother as her mom was."

"She actually told you that?" Daichi asked.

"Yep," Chitose said. "Unfortunately, things got worse from there. Satsuki caught a pretty high fever, we were running out of firewood, and we got swept by an avalanche. When we woke up the next morning, the cabin ended up right next to the cabin where the other moms were staying. Now that I think about it, I believe Mama Gokajou was watching over us that night."

"You know what, Chitose," Kazu said. "I believe you're right." He then stopped shuffling the dominoes. "Okay, the game is double-nine Draw, seven bones to start each, and we play to 300 points. Draw 'em, boys." The boys then drew seven dominoes from the pile before being moved off to the "boneyard."

"Hey, why is there an orange wristband over there, Kazu?" Chitose asked.

"Oh, that's in case someone else wants to play later," Kazu said. "So, does anyone have the double-nine?" No one answered. "Double-eight?" Chitose then put the double eight in the middle of the table.

"You lucky bastard," Tommy said as he put the 8-6 on the table.

"Chitose is not a bastard," Keni said as he put the 8-4 on the board. "At least I don't think he is."

"Ah, nobody knows if anyone is legitimate nowadays," Daichi said as he put down the 9-8.

"So, Chitose, what exactly happened after you and Satsuki were reunited with the other teacher-moms?" Kazu asked as he put the 6-4 next to the 6-8.

"Well, we were both taken to the hospital afterwards," Chitose said as he put down the 9-3. "I was given a clean bill of health, but Satsuki still had a bit of a fever and she had to stay overnight." Tommy then put down the double-four next to the 6-4. "She also had to use crutches for a few weeks while her ankle healed."

"Satsuki was on crutches?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah," Chitose said, as Keni put down the zero-trey. "It really bothered her, because she wouldn't really work out, but we helped her get through it."

"Yeah," Daichi said as he put down the zero-eight on the open zero. "Satsuki really likes to work out."

"I'm glad to see she's okay now," Kazu said as he put down the 8-5 on the last end of the double-eight. "Oh, I almost forgot to ask about your sisters."

"Well, both Mina and Hazuki lost their respective birth parents when they were very young, so the Hitotoses adopted them," Chitose explained as he drew a domino. He didn't get what he wanted, so he drew another one. "As far as I knew, the Hitotoses were the only parents I ever had." He then drew a double-five, which he immediately played. "I lost my parents when I was ten. I don't know how it happened, but the place caught on fire." Tommy then played the 9-5. "The firefighters managed to get all of us kids out, but our parents didn't make it."

"Oh, my," Keni said as he played the 6-5 on the double-five.

"We managed to stay together in the orphanage for a few years until we got split up," Chitose said, as Daichi played the six-zero. "Shortly after the time Satsuki and the others became my mothers did I meet up with Hazuki and Mina again. Now they live in a condo a few blocks from where I live."

"Unbelievable," Kazu said as he played the ace-eight. "I can't believe you lost your parents, and you separated from your sisters for a long time."

"Yeah. Well, I know that I've got people that care about me now," Chitose said, playing the ace-nine on the open ace.

"That's true," Tommy said as he played the 9-6 next to the 9-5. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost any of you guys."

"Same here," Keni said, playing the double-zero.

"I want you to know that we care about you too, Chitose," Daichi said, playing the 4-2 next to the double-four. "You're part of our family now."

"That's true, Chitose," Kazu said, playing the 9-2. "Despite the situation you're in with Satsuki, you're more like a brother to all of us."

"Thanks, guys," Chitose said, playing the double-six.

"Can we talk about something else, please?" Tommy asked as he was playing the 7-4 next to the 8-4. "I'm getting a little misty-eyed here."

"Yeah,"Keni said, playing the 7-5. "Let's talk about Yayoi. Is she still as sexy as when I last saw her, Chitose?"

"Well, first of all, the last time you saw her was five years ago if I'm not mistaken," Chitose said. Daichi was playing the five-zero next to the 7-5 in the meantime. "And since you are asking, I guess she is still sexy."

"Thought so," Keni said.

"Hey, Chi, have you had any…weird experiences with Yayoi?" Tommy asked him.

"Tommy!" Kazu exclaimed. He had played the 5-3 next to the double-five in the meantime.

"Unfortunately, I have," Chitose said as he played the 7-6 next to the double-six. Tommy then played the double-seven next to it. "I really don't like to talk about that, but that same day that Satsuki threw me in the water bucket was the whole start of the Spirit of Misfortune incident."

"Spirit of Misfortune?" Keni and Daichi asked. Keni played the seven-zero while they exclaimed that.

"What the hell is a Spirit of Misfortune?" Kazu asked. Daichi drew a domino, which he didn't like.

"Damn," Daichi said after drawing a double-deuce. He then drew another bone from the yard, which he didn't like either. "Crap." Then he drew an ace-seven. "Thank you." He then put it on the double-seven.

"Well, what happened was that Yayoi came up with this ridiculous theory that the reason I had been so unhappy recently was because of a Spirit of Misfortune," Chitose said as Kazu placed the ace-trey next to the trey. "She tried these weird things to try and exorcise this spirit from my body." He then placed the 7-2 next to the last spot on the double-seven. "Dousing me with ice-cold water, writing weird symbols all over my naked body, dripping candle wax down my butt, rubbing salt all over my body…especially my genital region."

"That kind of thing would have turned me on," Tommy said as he put down the zero-four next to the double-zero. "Oh, by the way, domino." Kazu then counted all the pips on the opposing (including his own) dominoes.

"Forty-one," Kazu said. "You would have been turned on by that stuff?" he then asked Tommy with a somewhat disgusted look on his face.

_**Red (Kazu)—0, Yellow (Chitose)—0, Green (Tommy)—41, Blue (Kenichi)—0, Purple (Daichi)—0**_

"Well, that _didn't_ turn me on," Chitose said. Kazu was shuffling the dominoes in the meantime. "In fact, I was so humiliated, that in my rage, I thought about how I was going to pretend to be happy in order for Yayoi to stop doing these stupid things to me. Well, she didn't stop, and she ended up getting herself sick. I will tell you this, when she asked me to take her temperature, she pulled me so hard I thought she was going to kiss me."

"Does she have a crush on you, Chitose?" Daichi asked. Chitose simply glared at him. "Never mind."

Soon, another round of dominoes was played, and eventually Daichi won the game. Here's how each of the rounds went round-by-round…

_**Round 2: Red (Kazu)—0, Yellow (Chitose)—0, Green (Tommy)—41, Blue (Kenichi)—0, Purple (Daichi)—68**_

_**Round 3: Red (Kazu)—0, Yellow (Chitose)—0, Green (Tommy)—41, Blue (Kenichi)—0, Purple (Daichi)—108**_

_**Round 4: Red (Kazu)—0, Yellow (Chitose)—0, Green (Tommy)—41, Blue (Kenichi)—0, Purple (Daichi)—255 (Kazu had to do a LOT of drawing)**_

_**Round 5: Red (Kazu)—0, Yellow (Chitose)—0, Green (Tommy)—41, Blue (Kenichi)—13, Purple (Daichi)—255**_

_**Round 6: Red (Kazu)—0, Yellow (Chitose)—0, Green (Tommy)—41, Blue (Kenichi)—82, Purple (Daichi)—255**_

_**Round 7: Red (Kazu)—0, Yellow (Chitose)—0, Green (Tommy)—41, Blue (Kenichi)—82, Purple (Daichi)—281**_

_**Round 8: Red (Kazu)—27, Yellow (Chitose)—0, Green (Tommy)—41, Blue (Kenichi)—82, Purple (Daichi)—281**_

_**Round 9: Red (Kazu)—69, Yellow (Chitose)—0, Green (Tommy)—41, Blue (Kenichi)—82, Purple (Daichi)—281**_

_**Round 10: Red (Kazu)—133, Yellow (Chitose)—0, Green (Tommy)—41, Blue (Kenichi)—82, Purple (Daichi)—281**_

_**Round 11: Red (Kazu)—133, Yellow (Chitose)—56, Green (Tommy)—41, Blue (Kenichi)—82, Purple (Daichi)—281**_

_**Round 12: Red (Kazu)—133, Yellow (Chitose)—82, Green (Tommy)—41, Blue (Kenichi)—82, Purple (Daichi)—281 (after this round, Satsuki came by to watch)**_

_**Round 13: Red (Kazu)—133, Yellow (Chitose)—110, Green (Tommy)—41, Blue (Kenichi)—82, Purple (Daichi)—281**_

_**Round 14: Red (Kazu)—133, Yellow (Chitose)—110, Green (Tommy)—41, Blue (Kenichi)—82, Purple (Daichi)—321**_

"The winner of the match, and UNDISPUTED DOMINO MASTER…DAICHI GOKAJOU!" the second-born child exclaimed his victory.

"Swell," Tommy said sarcastically. At that moment, Mako entered the room, with his hair down, and dressed in a white t-shirt, black track pants, and white socks.

"Hey, guys," Mako greeted them.

"Hey, Mako," Chitose said.

"Looks like I missed a hell of a domino game," Mako said.

"You certainly did," Kazu said. Just then, Hiroto entered the room.

"Looks like you people up here were having fun," Hiroto said.

"We were," Keni said. "Exhausting, but fun. Hey, I'm going to go smoke outside for a few. I'll be right back. DON'T TAKE MY SPOT!" Keni then stood up and left the room.

"Hey, dad, we're going to have pizza for dinner tonight," Kazu said. "Do you want anything in particular?"

"Not really," Hiroto said. "I'll just have whatever you order."

"Are you going to call it in, Kaz?" Tommy asked.

"I wasn't going to, but sure," Kazu said.

"Well, in that case, I want squid on mine with extra tentacles."

"Oh, man!" Chitose said, very disgusted.

"Extra cheese and pepperoni on mine, bro," Mako said.

"I want mushrooms, pineapples, and ham on one half, and olives, green peppers, and anchovies on the other half," Daichi said. Chitose looked like he was going to throw up.

"Okay," Kazu said, writing down the orders on a piece of paper. "What do you want, Chi?" Chitose didn't respond, as he still felt a little sick. "Chitose?"

"Oh, sorry about that, Kaz," Chitose said, trying to regain his composure. "I think I'll just have pepperoni on mine."

"Same here," Satsuki said.

"Tommy, go see what Keni wants on his pizza," Kazu told him.

"Are you kidding me, man?" Tommy asked him. Kazu gave him a look that said he wasn't kidding. Tommy then sighed. "Okay." Tommy was then about to leave the game room, but Keni simply walked back in. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I just remembered I used my last cigarette," Keni said, "so, I'm chewing the gum. What's up, guys?"

"Hey, Keni," Kazu said. "I need to know what type of pizza you want."

"I don't really care, man," Keni said. "I'll just have what everyone else is having."

"Okay, that's one pizza with squid, extra tentacles, one with extra cheese and extra pepperoni, one with mushrooms pineapples and half on one half, and olives, peppers, and anchovies on the other half, two with just pepperoni, and one plain cheese pizza," Kazu read off the list. "I'm going to go order our pizzas now." He then stood up and went to the nearest telephone.

"Hey, Satsuki, I've been meaning to ask you," Chitose said.

"Yeah, Chitose?"

"Where'd you get that baseball shirt?" he asked.

"I got it when we went to Toronto," Satsuki said. She was, indeed, wearing an old 1990s-era white Toronto Blue Jays baseball shirt. It was open, revealing her black negligee underneath it. "Hey, Keni, can you show me some more of your photo album?"

"Sure thing, sis," Keni said. He stood up and brought the album with him to show her and Chitose. "That's me in Istanbul, truly one of the great historical cities in the entire world. You want to know something, Chitose?"

"What?"

"Istanbul is the only major city that's in both Europe and Asia," Keni told him.

"Hmm. Interesting," Chitose said, before checking another picture. "And where's that at?"

"That is the Metora monasteries in Greece," Keni said. "The only way you can get to the top of those rocks were by rope basket. Here's an interesting fact. At one point during the shooting of "For Your Eyes Only", the monks that were living on the monastery did not want the producers to film there, and even went out of their way to put sheets on the top of the roofs there."

"Wow!" Chitose said. "Well, what about that?"

"That…is the Sugarloaf Mountain at Rio de Janeiro in Brazil," Keni said. "You guys want to know something? When I was on my way up the mountain in the cable car, the car just stopped. We were, like, hanging almost a thousand feet above sea level, with like, ten other people in the car. We were stuck there for like, two hours, before we started moving again."

"You were actually stuck in a cable car?" Chitose wondered. "Did you panic?"

"Nah, I stayed calm," Keni said. "Of course, I couldn't smoke on the damn thing, but I had my gum with me."

"I think you're more addicted to the gum than the actual cigarettes," Satsuki said.

"Ha, ha, ha," Keni said sarcastically. He then took back his album from Chitose. "I'll take this, thank you." He then went back to his seat at the table.

"Are you sure you two are twins?" Chitose asked Satsuki.

"Chitose, you should know by now that even though Kenichi and I are twins, we have virtually nothing in common," Satsuki said.

"I've seen that," Chitose said. Just then, Kazu re-entered the room.

"Pizzas will be ready in about half an hour, but they don't deliver out here, so I'm going to go and pick them up in a few minutes," Kazu said.

"Bummer," Tommy said.

"You sure they won't deliver out here, Kaz?" Mako asked. He had already sat down in his chair and put on the orange wristband.

"Yep," Kazu said. He then took off his red wristband and tossed it to Hiroto. "Here, Papa-san. You can take my place."

"Why, thank you, Kazu," Hiroto said as he put on the wristband.

"You want to come with me, Chitose?" Kazu asked him.

"Huh?"

"I asked you if you wanted to come with me." Chitose then stared at Satsuki.

"Go ahead, Chitose," she said. "I'll play for you while you're gone."

"Thanks, Satsuki," Chitose said as he took off the yellow wristband. "Yeah, I'll come with you, Kazu."

"Good," Kazu said. They were about to leave, when Keni called them back.

"Hey, Kazu, could you get me a carton of cigarettes while you're out?"Keni asked.

"Hell no," Kazu replied.

"Come on, man," Keni said as he took a 10,000-yen bill out of his wallet, "I'll even pay for my own smokes." Kazu took the bill out of his hands.

"Fine, but I'm not doing this for you anymore," Kazu said. "Let's go, Chitose."

"Okay," Chitose said. "I'll see you guys later."

"See you later, Chi," Mako said. At that moment, Kazu and Chitose left.

"Why are we all sitting around like a bunch of lazies?" Daichi asked. "Come on! Let's get this party started! Mako?" At that moment, Mako started shuffling.

"The game is five card stud, one-eyed faces and deuces are wild," Mako said. Keni laughed at Mako's explanation.

"Shut up," Daichi said. "Don't steal my joke, man."

"I was only kidding, Dai," Mako said. "How about double-nine block, seven bones each, and 150 to win?"

"Sounds good to me," Daichi said.

(And in case anyone forgot, Hiroto is wearing the red wristband, Mako is wearing the orange wristband, Satsuki is wearing the yellow wristband, Tommy is wearing the green wristband, Keni is wearing the blue wristband, and Daichi is wearing the purple wristband. Everybody got that?)

* * *

Soon, Chitose and Kazu were on the road, with Kazu driving (of course) the Toyota Estima rental van. Chitose was riding shotgun. 

"I swear, if I had the time, I would go to every tobacco store in the country, give the owners a picture of Kenichi, and tell them not to sell any cigarettes to that man," Kazu said to himself, but Chitose overheard him.

"Um, Kazu?"

"Yeah, Chi?"

"I don't mean to pry, but when exactly did Keni start smoking?" Chitose asked.

"Ah, he's been smoking ever since Mama-san died," Kazu said.

"So, he's been smoking for ten years?!" Chitose said, with a shocked look on his face.

"Yep," Kazu said. "I don't know how many times we've tried to get him to quit, and I don't know if he's made any attempt to quit himself, but it hasn't really worked. I'm starting to think that maybe Keni is suicidal."

"WHAT?!"

"Well, he did take Mom's death pretty hard," Kazu said. "All of us did, but it appeared to be the toughest on both Satsuki and Kenichi. I mean, you pretty much know that Satsuki and Mama-san were very, very close. In fact, Keni and Mom were very close as well. I remember a lot of the kids at Keni's school teased him for being a 'mama's boy'…no offence, Chitose."

"None taken," Chitose said. "I don't really consider myself a mama's boy, though."

"I kind of figured, considering what you told us about that 'Spirit of Misfortune' thing with Yayoi," Kazu said.

"Look, I don't want to talk about it," Chitose said. "In fact, I don't want to talk about my moms, or your siblings. I want to talk about you. What do you do for a living? Where do you live? And tell me more about your daughter."

"Well," Kazu said, "I'm a computer technician. Basically, I fix and maintain computers, build and configure new hardware, install and upgrade software, and create and maintain computer networks."

"Whoa," Chitose said. "You must have be very smart."

"I am," Kazu said. "I live in Yokohama, about 30 kilometers or so from Tokyo. My ex lives only a few blocks from my place, so Momoe doesn't have to worry about either of her parents living too far from one another."

"Who's Momoe?" Chitose asked.

"That's my daughter," Kazu said. "I have a picture of her in my wallet, so I'll show it to you when we stop."

"Okay," Chitose said. "So…you like Ultimate Boxing?"

"Yeah, but Mako's more of a fan than I am," Kazu admitted. "I usually just tape it for him since he's unable to watch it most of the time. But honestly, Chitose, my favorite thing in the entire world is video games."

"Video games?" Chitose wondered.

"Yep," Kazu said. "In fact, at my house, I have hundreds of arcade and pinball machines, numerous video game consoles, God knows how many handheld games, and one or two pachinko machines." Chitose had a somewhat shocked look on his face. "Are you okay, Chitose?"

"You have your own personal arcade at your house?" Chitose asked him.

"I wouldn't exactly call it that," Kazu said. "Well, come to think of it, I guess you could call it that. Maybe one weekend, I'll bring you over to my place so I can show it to you."

"That'd be great," Chitose said, "if it's okay with my moms, of course."

"I'm sure Satsuki and the other 'moms' would approve," Kazu said. He then pulled into the parking lot of a convenience store.

"Why are we stopping here?" Chitose asked.

"Because a certain brother of mine wanted me to get him his cigarettes," Kazu said, gritting his teeth.

"Well, why are we stopping now?" Chitose asked.

"Well, Chi, since the pizzas aren't going to be ready for a little while, I figured we might as well get these now," Kazu said.

Soon, the two entered the store. While Kazu went to the counter to get the cigarettes, Chitose looked at a magazine that had Hazuki on the cover.

"Damn it, I forgot what kind of cigarettes he smokes," Kazu said. He then took out his cell phone and dialed a phone number.

* * *

Back at the Gokajou Mansion, the gang was between domino games when somebody's cell phone rang. 

"Mine," Keni said. He then answered it. "Yo."

"Keni, I'm at the convenience store," Kazu said. "I forgot what kind of cigarettes you smoke, man."

"Oh, come on, Kaz," Keni said. "You know damn well what kind of cigarettes I smoke."

"Kenichi…"

"Oh, fine," Keni said. "It's Marlboro Ultra Lights, Kaz."

"I don't know whether to thank you or not, Kenichi," Kazu said, just before he hung up. He then said to himself, "One of these days, I'm going to shoot that man." A minute or so later, he came up to the counter to purchase his things. "Okay, I'd like a carton of Marlboro Ultra Lights and that bottle of tequila there."

"Okay," the clerk said. "Are you having a party?"

"Nah, the cigarettes are for my brother, and the tequila's for me," Kazu said. "Because my brother can really drive me to drink sometimes."

"Interesting," the clerk said. "You want anything else?"

"Just a sec," Kazu said, then turned to face Chitose. "You want those, Chitose?" Chitose was holding a hag of Cheetos.

"Nah, I was just looking at them," Chitose said. Kazu soon paid for the cigarettes and tequila, and the two left the convenience store.

* * *

"So, what are everyone's plans for tomorrow?" Mako asked while shuffling the dominoes. 

"I honestly don't know," Hiroto said. "I guess I could prepare for this Monday's class."

"Well, I don't have anything planned," Daichi said. "What's tomorrow? Saturday?"

"Yep," Mako said.

"I still don't have anything planned for tomorrow," Daichi said.

"I was going to work on my Mustang," Keni said. "Mainly because I didn't get a chance to work on it today."

"No more dominoes…" Tommy said. "No…more…dominoes…"

"I believe the so-called Domino Master has been dethroned," Satsuki said. "Well, I was just planning on working out tomorrow. What did you have planned, Mako?"

"Well, I was thinking we could all go to the Kagawa Fun Center," Mako said. "You know, that recreational place in Takamatsu?"

"Isn't that run by one of your former students, Papa-san?" Daichi asked.

"And if I remember correctly, wasn't he in Ultimate Boxing at one time?"Keni asked.

"He was," Hiroto said. "In fact, he won the Tag Team Championship alongside Sammy "Supernova" Nakamura."

"As the Komodo Dragons—Sammy Nakamura and Katsuro Tanaka," Mako said, still shuffling. "I have almost every one of their matches on tape. So, what do you guys think?"

"Well, what do they have there?" Satsuki asked.

"They've got everything you can imagine," Mako said. "Swimming pool, video arcade, a gymnasium, a restaurant..."

"Well, I'm hooked," Tommy said. "Let's go."

"Same here," Daichi said.

"Wait a minute," Keni said. "We've got to talk to Kazu and Chi about this."

"I agree," Hiroto said. "They may not want to come with us to the Fun Center."

"Are you kidding?" Satsuki said. "Chitose would probably love this place. I know Kazu will."

"Well, all right," Hiroto said, "but I'm going to ask them as soon as they get back…just to make sure."

"You worry too much, Papa-san," Satsuki said.

"Hey, Mako, are you done shuffling those damn things yet?" Daichi asked his brother impatiently.

"Hold your horses, Dai," Mako said. "I'm shuffling as fast as I can."

* * *

Chitose and Kazu were now at the pizza parlor, where they learned that it would be a few more minutes until their pizza was ready. 

"So, what do we do until then?" Chitose asked Kazu.

"You know, I would have bought you that magazine you had earlier at that convenience store," Kazu said.

"I don't really buy those things, Kaz, but thanks anyway," Chitose said.

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot," Kazu said as he reached into his wallet. "I was going to show you the picture of my daughter. Ah, found it." He then took it out of his wallet and showed it to Chitose.

"Is that your daughter?" Chitose asked.

"Yep, that's Momoe," Kazu said as he showed Chitose the picture. It showed Kazu (sans glasses and having a noticeable stubble on his face) with a three-year-old girl with long teal hair and blue eyes. "This was from last week. I hadn't shaven yet, so that's why I look like that."

"I see," Chitose said. "She kind of looks a bit like a young Satsuki."

"She does, a little," Kazu said. "You want to know something, Chi?" Chitose nods in response. "She's afraid of her grandfather."

"I think I know why," Chitose said.

"You can actually blame Tommy for that," Kazu said. "A couple of weeks ago, Tommy was staying over at my place, and he told Momoe about some of the things that Papa-san would do to his students, like put them in excruciating submission holds. Scared the living daylights out of her. Now, she won't even get near Papa-san without freaking out. You know, Hiroto's actually a nice guy, once you get to know him."

"I'll try to keep that in mind," Chitose said. "Hey, can I borrow your cell phone for a minute?"

"Who are you calling?" Kazu asked, holding his cell phone in his hand.

"My sisters," Chitose said. "I haven't really gotten a chance to talk to them since I left Tokyo yesterday."

"I see your point," Kazu said. He then tossed the cell phone to Chitose, who caught it perfectly. "Try not to stay on it for too long."

"I'll try," Chitose said. He then dialed the cell phone to Hazuki and Mina's apartment. There was no answer after the first two rings. _Come on, Hazuki. Answer the damn phone!_ Chitose thought to himself. After several more rings, someone answered the phone. Chitose immediately recognized the voice as that of his younger sister. "Mina?" It was indeed Minazuki talking to him on the other side. "I've been doing great. I'm sorry I haven't been able to call you guys. It's been pretty hectic since we arrived here." Chitose's expression soon turned to a surprised one. "WHAT?! Fumitsuki is staying over at your place?! No! Don't put her on the phone! Listen, I would appreciate it if next time she was out of the room when you're talking to me, okay? I don't want her to know where I really am. You didn't tell her, did you?" He the sighed in relief. "Good. Listen, I've got to get going now. I'll try to call you. I will. And I'll bring back lots of pictures, too. Love you, too. Bye." He then hung up the phone.

"Okay, call me curious, but who is Fumitsuki?" Kazu asked.

"She happens to be the class president," Chitose said as he handed Kazu his cell phone back, "and she happens to be a real pain in the ass."

"How much of a pain in the ass?" Kazu asked, definitely interested.

"A big one," Chitose said. "You won't believe how many times she's tried to pry into my personal life."

"Why?" Kazu asked, then realized what Chitose was walking about. "Oh! I see what you mean now." At that moment, the pizza clerk came up to the register.

"Excuse me, sir," the pizza clerk said. "Your pizzas are ready."

"Ah, thank you," Kazu said. "Come on, Chi. Let's get these pizzas and get home." They both then walked up to the counter to pay for the pizzas, when Kazu noticed an arcade game standing next to a wall. "Hey, is that a Zoo Keeper arcade game over there?"

"Yep," the pizza guy said.

"Hey…would you be willing to sell that game for me for ¥300,000 yen?" Kazu asked him.

"Uh…I'd have to ask the manager," the pizza guy said. He then went to the back. Chitose then tapped on Kazu's shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Chitose asked him.

"Chitose, I haven't seen an arcade cabinet of that game in years!" Kazu told him. "I used to play that game all the time when I was younger. Here." Kazu then gave him a 100 yen coin. "Try it out."

"Uh…"

"Come on, Chi," Kazu said. "Try it out." Reluctantly, Chitose went over to the machine to try it out. Soon, he got hooked on the game and was still playing it when the manager and pizza clerk came back.

"So, I see the Zoo Keeper machine is getting a workout," the manager said. He then turned to Kazu. "So, you really want to buy this machine, mister…?"

"Gokajou," Kazu said. "Yeah, I used to play this game all the time when I was younger."

"Really?" the manager said, then took a good look at Kazu. "You know, you look familiar."

"I could say the same for you," Kazu said. "Aren't you Shinobu Kondo, the guy that owned Kondo's Game Palace in Tokushima City about twenty years or so ago?" Kondo, as he was known as now, chuckled in response.

"I remember you now," Kondo said. "You and your brothers and sister used to come over to my arcade every day after school. I remembered you used to play that machine over there all the time." He then noticed Chitose intensely playing the Zoo Keeper machine. "Looks like your friend is getting addicted to it."

"He is," Kazu said. "I'll give you ¥500,000 for it. Is it okay if I write a cheque?"

"Absolutely," Kondo said. Kazu then wrote the cheque and handed it to him, along with a card.

"That's my business card," Kazu said. "It has my home address on it. You can ship it there."

"Yokohama," Kondo read the city on Kazu's business card. "Quite a distance from here. Wait, this cheque is for ¥500,000. I thought you were offering three hundred thousand."

"Well, three hundred thousand for the cabinet, plus shipping and handling, and you guys can keep the rest," Kazu said.

"Okay," Kondo said.

"Thanks," Kazu said. "Oh, I almost forgot to pay for the pizza!"

"Never mind that," Kondo said. "It's on me. Besides, I've been trying to sell that game for years."

"And I've been trying to find that game for years," Kazu said. At that moment, Chitose came up to Kazu.

"Kaz, can I have 500 yen, please?" he asked.

"Chi, you don't have to worry about it," Kazu said. "You can play that game whenever you come to my place. Which reminds me, I'll probably have to fly back in a few days to sign the delivery form. But I'm not going to worry about that now." He then took some of the pizzas from the counter. "Thanks again for the game, Kondo."

"No problem," Kondo said. "Hey, Kazu…" Kondo then took a pen and used the back of one of his flyers to write something on it and then handed it to Kaxu. "if you get a chance, I'd like you to call me, and maybe I could show you some other machines I still have."

"I'd like that," Kazu said. "Hey, Chi, could you help me carry these to the van?"

"Sure," Chitose said as he took some of the pizza boxes.

"Hey, thanks again for the arcade, Kondo," Kazu said.

"No problem," Kondo said. "Hey, Gokajou…do me a favor and tell your brothers and sister I said hi, okay?"

"Will do," Kazu said as he and Chitose took the pizzas (three each) and left the parlor.

"Hey, boss?"

"Yeah?"

"You used to own an arcade?" the clerk asked Kondo.

"Get back to work," Kondo simply said.

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Soon, Kazu and Chitose were back in the van, on their way home. 

"Chitose?"

"Yeah, Kaz?"

"Do you have a picture of Fumitsuki?" Kazu asked him.

"No, and don't ask me any more questions about Fumitsuki," Chitose said.

"Sorry," Kazu said. After a brief pause, he spoke again. "Do you have a crush on her?" Chitose simply glared at him. "Okay, I'll stop! Oh, that reminds me, I'll probably have to fly back home sometime within the next few days."

"Why is that?" Chitose asked.

"Well, one, I'd like to check on my daughter, and two, there's no one staying at my place, so someone needs to be there when my arcade cabinet arrives," Kazu explained.

"Well, why don't you call any of your neighbors?" Chitose asked him.

"Well, you see, I kind of live in a warehouse that I renovated to me needs," Kazu said, "so I don't have any quote-unquote 'neighbors'."

"Oh," Chitose said. The van then stopped at a red light. "Hey, Kaz, do you have a copy of that picture of the entire family? You know, the one you guys took before your mom got sick?"

"Hang on a sec, Chi," Kazu said as he reached into his wallet and took it out. "You mean this one?"

"Yeah," Chitose said. "Can I look at it for a bit?"

"Sure," Kazu said, then he handed it to him. Chitose looked at the picture for a bit while Kazu drove on.

"You know, I just realized something," Chitose said.

"What's that?" Kazu asked him.

"It looks as though you and the other brothers all had long hair back then," Chitose said.

"Well, that was the hairstyle back then," Kazu said, "at least it was in the United States. Here's a funny story—we were in Toronto for WrestleMania, and one of the wrestling fans that got off the plane with us said that Daichi somewhat resembled "The Model" Rick Martel. Well, the day before WrestleMania, we ran into Martel, and Dai managed to get a picture with him. He even did that narcissistic pose that Martel was known for when he was The Model. Maybe I can ask Dai if he can show it to you when we get back."

"Interesting, and I don't even know who Rick Martel is," Chitose said. "You had long hair as well?"

"Yep," Kazu said. "I still do, to an extent. You may not have noticed it, but I do have kind of a short rattail in the back here."

"Actually, I did kind of notice that," Chitose said. "Looks kind of nice."

"Why, thank you," Kazu said. "You know, Keni kept his hair kind of long until I think about last year. He's kind of like Mako and Tommy—always wanting to have their hair long." He then chuckled a bit. "You know, I just realized something."

"What?" Chitose asked.

"You and Tommy look almost alike," Kazu said.

"Are you serious?!" Chitose asked, with a somewhat upset look on his face.

"Well, I don't know," Kazu said. "Maybe it's just me."

"I'll have to ask Satsuki when we get back," Chitose said. "Speaking of whom, did she ever have long hair when she was younger?"

"She always had that tomboyish look, Chitose," Kazu said. "Let's put it at that."

"Okay…"

* * *

Soon, Chitose and Kazu reached home, bringing in the pizzas. While everyone was enjoying their dinner, Hiroto was asking Kazu if he and Chitose wanted to come with them to the Kagawa Fun Center tomorrow, and they both said yes. Kazu then told everyone about encountering the owner of the arcade they went to when they were younger, and the siblings, especially Daichi, couldn't believe it. 

After dinner, Kazu and Mako were going through the Ultimate Boxing videos.

"So, what are we going to watch, Mako?" Kazu asked his younger brother.

"I haven't the slightest idea, big bro," Mako said. He had his hair tied in a ponytail. "How about this? 'Saturday Night Boxing—February 22, 1986'."

"Isn't that the one where Kevin Van Dyke began his two-year-long reign as United States Champion?" Kazu asked.

"Yep."

"Pass," Kazu simply said. "How about this one? 'The 1988 Ultimate Boxing Tourament'?"

"Hell, no," Mako said. "There were only three or four good matches on that card—and that includes the Henderson-Van Dyke match. Let's try this one—'Ultimate Boxing Tournament's 25 Greatest Matches'. True, it's from three years ago, but it's still good."

"All right," Kazu said. "Chitose!" At that moment, Chitose walked up to Kazu and Mako.

"Yeah, Kaz?"

"We're going to watch some Ultimate Boxing," Kazu said. "It's 'Ultimate Boxing Tournament's 25 Greatest Matches'."

"What's the Ultimate Boxing Tournament?" Chitose asked Mako.

"Well, it's kind of like the Super Bowl for American football, the World Series for baseball, or even WrestleMania for the World Wrestling Federation," Mako explained.

"Ah, I see," Chitose said. "Well, I'm going to see if Satsuki wants to join us. Don't start it without me, okay?"

"Okay, Chi," Mako said as Chitose left the room.

* * *

Chitose was walking over to Satsuki's (and his) bedroom, when Tommy happened to pass him. 

"Hey, Chitose," Tommy said.

"Hey, Tommy," Chitose said. Tommy then grabbed Chitose's arm and turned him around to face him.

"You know, I've been thinking about what Satsuki said about you and her earlier," Tommy said, "and I don't buy any damn bit of it."

"What do you mean?" Chitose asked him, a little worried now.

"The reason Satsuki and all those other teachers moved in with you was because you were struggling in school?" Tommy then laughed out loud, then said, "Sorry, but that just sounds ridiculous." Chitose then somehow overpowered Tommy and pinned him against the wall.

"Then, why do you think they decided to move in with me?" Chitose asked, gritting his teeth.

"Well, if you let me go, I can tell you," Tommy said. Chitose reluctantly let him go, but Tommy simply ran off. "I'll tell you later. Bye, Chitose." Chitose watched him leave with a confused look on his face.

"Idiot," Chitose simply said to himself. He then walked over to Satsuki's room. "Satsuki?" Chitose then opened the door, only to find Satsuki standing in front of him, completely naked. "Oh, God!" He then quickly shut the door, blushing and sweating heavily. After taking a second to catch his breath, he knocked on the door.

"Yes?" Satsuki asked through the door.

"Can I come in now?" Chitose asked.

"Just a second," Satsuki said through the door. Chitose then waited semi-patiently for her.

_I cannot believe I just saw Mama Satsuki naked_, Chitose thought to himself. _She does look kind of hot. NO! She is your mother, for God's sake! You cannot be thinking like that!_

"Well, you might as well come in now," Satsuki said through the door. Chitose then took a deep breath and opened the door again. This time, Satsuki was using a blanket to cover her still-nude body.

"Hi," Chitose said weakly. The two couldn't say anything for a moment before Satsuki finally spoke up.

"Can I help you with something?" she asked.

"Well, the guys and I are going to watch some Ultimate Boxing, and I wanted to know if you wanted to come join us," Chitose said in miraculously one breath.

"Actually, I was planning on going swimming in the pool house," Satsuki said, staring at the swimsuit that was on the floor.

"Oh," Chitose said. "Well, I just thought I'd ask. Thanks anyway."

"No problem," Satsuki said. As Chitose was about to leave, she spoke up again. "Uh, Chitose…next time, could you please knock before you enter?"

"Yeah. Sorry about that," Chitose bowed apologetically. "Well, good night, Satsuki."

"Good night, Chitose," Satsuki said, just before Chitose closed the door and left her standing there, covering her front with the blanket.

_He just saw me naked_, Satsuki thought to herself. Shrugging it off, she dropped the blanket and put on her swimsuit before grabbing a towel and leaving her room.

* * *

Well, things have DEFINITELY gotten interesting between Chitose and Satsuki! What's going to happen? Well, you'll have to wait and find out, but not right away… 

Because the next chapter will focus entirely on the other main female characters of Happy Lesson (Mutsuki, Yayoi, Uzuki, Kisaragi, Fumitsuki, Minazuki, Hazuki, Kanna) and their troubles.

And the chapter after that (lucky 13) will instead be an interlude, focusing on Hirokazu Gokajou's house and all his wonderful toys.

Before anybody asks—no, I did not name the former arcade owner and current pizza parlor manager after Nintendo music-man Koji Kondo. The name was a coincidence.

And for you Digimon fans out there, yes, I named Kazu's daughter after the oldest sister of one Miyako/Yolei Inoue. I based her look somewhat on Kiyone Makibi from Tenchi Muyo, but she really does look like a young Satsuki.

Zoo Keeper is an actual arcade game, originally released by Taito in 1982. Take it from me, it is addicting.

Oh, and in case anyone is wondering, Rick Martel is a former Quebecois professional wrestler. During his first stint in the World Wrestling Federation in the early-1980s, he was a two-time World Tag Team champion alongside New Zealand-born wrestler Tony Garea (Garea currently serves as a Road Agent for the WWE). During the mid-1980s, he wrestled for the American Wrestling Association, where he was the AWA World Heavyweight Champion for 19 months. After returning to the Federation in 1986, he formed tag teams with Tom Zenk (as the Can-Am Connection) and later Tito Santana (as Strike Force; winning another Tag Team Championship) before becoming a narcissistic, arrogant heel (bad guy) nicknamed "The Model." He pretty much retired from wrestling in 1995 when he left the World Wrestling Federation, but he did resurface briefly in World Championship Wrestling before retiring for good in 1998.

I'm going to give a little spoil for the next chapter. Yumiko Nakamura and Sammy "Supernova" Nakamura are distant cousins. That's how they're related.

Now, for the five questions, this chapter's segment focuses on the younger of the twin Gokajous, Kenichi Gokajou. Please note that he was clean-shaven when we asked him these questions.

_My first question to you is, when exactly did you start smoking, and have you made attempts to quit?  
_I actually started smoking a week or so after my mom died. I was grieving and a couple of my friends from high school suggested I start smoking because I was under a lot of stress. Well, I did that, and I've been smoking ever since. And as for my attempts to quit—I've tried cold turkey, I've tried the patches, and I've tried the gum. None of them work. I got sick once using the patches, and the gum just makes my nicotine addiction worse.

_Okay…what exactly is your absolutely favorite thing in the entire world?  
_James Bond, 007, no question about it. In fact…this album here documents my "007 World Tour" as I call it. I also have a video of it as well.

_007 World Tour. What is that exactly?  
_That was when I toured the various locations where they filmed scenes for the James Bond movies. I went to Great Britain, Jamaica, Turkey, the United States, Switzerland, France, the Bahamas, Spain, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, Egypt, Sardinia, Italy, Brazil, Guatemala, Greece, India, Iceland, Gibraltar, Austria, Morocco, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Monte Carlo, Russia, and Azerbaijan. Whew, I said a mouthful.

_Interesting. What exactly do you do for a living?  
_I'm an auto mechanic. Unfortunately, I'm out of work because that guy that owned the body shop where I worked at was arrested for…unpleasant things. But I do share an incredible classic car collection with my work buddy, Yamato Suzuki. (no relation to Takashi Suzuki, Professional Cosplayer, and Master and Ruler of the World) My main car, the one I drive most, is a '69 Mustang Mach 1 with a 428 Cobra Jet that I imported from the States. That's the one I like to work on the most as well.

_You have a twin sister. Do you have anything in common with her?  
_Well, she's athletic, I'm not. I'm into cars, she's not. We really don't have much in common, but one thing we do share is the love we have for each other.

Remember…smoking kills.


	12. More on the Moms

Disclaimer: I do not own "Happy Lesson," its characters or concepts. Reader discretion is advised and certain celebrities have been impersonated. No celebrities were harmed in the creation of this story.

This chapter, number twelve, will focus mainly on the mother moms. In case anyone forgot…

Mutsuki has been suffering since meeting her ex-boyfriend Takahiro Kobayashi face-to-face for the first time since an incident in high school. Her mom, former Olympian Satomi Ichimonji, is currently taking her to a doctor and maybe a psychiatrist.

Yayoi is in the middle of a spiritual journey guided by one Susumu Arisaka, but she's actually more interested in the guide than the actual journey.

Uzuki and her Cosplay Group have been enjoying the sights on Kyoto, but she soon discovers one of her stepfathers. Something is definitely up.

Kisaragi is still torturing Kanna. Last time we checked, they were sailing towards parts unknown.

Fumitsuki, Minazuki, and Hazuki are currently at the Manekigaoka Resort and Spa located near the Saitama, Chiba, and Tokyo borders, enjoying themselves.

Everyone else will come back in chapter fourteen. (You'll see why soon enough) For now, enjoy.

Oh, one other thing…this story will now be rated "M."

* * *

On the island of Hokkaido, in the city of Sapporo, Satomi Ichimonji was in a waiting room, as her daughter was being checked out by a physician. She was sitting next to a young boy playing a Game Boy Advance. 

"Excuse me…" Satomi then turned to the boy calling her. He had brown hair, with a small pink streak in the middle. He then offered his Game Boy Advance to her. "Would you like to play my Game Boy?"

"Aw, how nice of you," Satomi said. "I'm just going to read this magazine for a bit, but thank you for offering."

"Okay," the boy said before resuming playing his video game. A few minutes later, the doctor peeked through the waiting room door.

"Mrs. Ichimonji?"

"Yes?"

"Could I see you in my office for a minute, please?" Dr. Narita said. "It concerns your daughter." Daisuke Narita had been the Ichimonji's family doctor since moving back to Hokkaido. In fact, his father, Tarou Narita, had delivered Mutsuki when she was born.

"Sure," Satomi said. As she stood up and walked towards the doctor, she noticed that he had a small shiner around his right eye. "Um, what's with the shiner, Dr. Narita?"

"I'll explain in a minute," Dr. Narita said. "Just meet me in my office, please."

"Okay, I'll be right there," Satomi said. As she was about to leave, the boy who was playing the GBA tugged on her dress. She then turned around to face him.

"It was nice meeting you," the boy said.

"Same here," Satomi said, smiling.

A few minutes later, Satomi was in Dr. Narita's office, sitting in front of his desk.

"Mrs. Ichimonji, I don't know how to put this," Dr. Narita said.

"You can tell me, Daisuke," Satomi said. "What's wrong with Mu-chan?"

"Well, let me put it this way," Daisuke said. "When I was about to take Mutsuki's temperature, she punched me right in the face."

"Well, that explains the black eye," Satomi said.

"It gets better," Daisuke said. "It took five people to get her restrained so that I could finish the exam. I'm going to be honest with you, Satomi. In my 20 years in medicine, I have never seen anything like this in my life. Her temperature's normal, so is her pulse and blood pressure—everything about her is normal. I don't understand what the _hell_ is going on."

"I guess it may have had something to do with what happened at dinner last night," Satomi said.

"Last night?" Daisuke wondered. "What happened last night?"

"Well, you know Mutsuki's old boyfriend from high school, Takahiro Kobayashi, don't you?" Satomi asked. Daisuke nodded. "Well, last night at dinner, Taky accidentally said the wrong thing, and Mutsuki ended up knocking him out with one punch."

"Ouch," Daisuke said. "One other thing, Mrs. Ichimonji. Has your daughter been sick within the past few days?"

"Well, she did tell me that she had a touch of the flu before she flew up here yesterday," Satomi said.

"Interesting," Daisuke said. "I still don't understand why Mutsuki is acting like this. Everything on these tests says she's normal."

"Well, what do you suggest?" Satomi asked.

"I think you should take her to a psychiatrist," Daisuke said. "Do you happen to know any psychiatrists?"

"Well…" Satomi started to say.

* * *

"Sapporo General Hospital," the receptionist answered the phone. "Yeah, he's just passing by. I'll get him for you." She then set the phone down. "Taky, it's for you." 

"What did I tell you about calling me 'Taky'?" the doctor asked the receptionist, somewhat irritated.

"Isn't that what everyone else calls ya?" she said.

"Yes, but I don't like it when you call me that," he said before taking the phone. "Dr. Kobayashi here." Takahiro Kobayashi was wearing his blue scrubs, as well as having a pair of gold-framed glasses on his face. "Mrs. Ichimonji?"

"Who's she?" the doctor who walking next to him asked.

"The mother of my ex-girlfriend," Taky said to his supervisor. He then went back on the phone. "So, what's wrong with Mutsuki? Uh-huh. Interesting. So, what are you going to do about it? I see. Hang on a second." He then covered the phone with his hand. "Do you know any psychiatrists, Lenny?"

"Actually, my former college roommate is a psychiatrist." Lennox Robinson, or Lenny as everyone called him, was Dr. Kobayashi's supervisor. He was about ten years older than Taky, had dark skin with brown eyes, very short black hair, and spoke with a British accent. "Here's his card."

"Why, thank you," Takahiro said with a mock English accent. He then went back to the phone, speaking normally. "I've got his card right here, Mrs. Ichimonji." He then gave her the phone number. "Great. Call me when you find out more, okay? All right. I'll see you later. Bye." He then handed the phone back to the receptionist, before taking his glasses off and wiping the lenses with his scrubs top. At that moment, a female doctor with her auburn-colored hair in dreadlocks, walked up to the two doctors.

"Hey, what's going on here?" she asked them, with a noticeable Kansai accent.

"Something involving Dr. Kobayashi's personal life, Tami," Lenny said. Tamiko Yamada was the other supervising doctor where Takahiro Kobayashi worked at. She was originally from Kobe, in the Hyogo Prefecture, and was around the same age as Lenny.

"Let me guess…something to do with that incident you told me about?" Tami asked.

"Well, yes and no," Taky said as put his glasses back on. "You see, Mutsuki Ichimonji—that's her name, by the way—decided to visit her mom and dad, since she hadn't seen them in such a long time. Now, I happen to be good friends with both parents, since her father was once my teacher in high school, and her mom…"

"Taky, no offence, but could you please cut to the chase?" Tami asked impatiently.

"All right," Taky said. "Well, last night, I was invited to dinner at the Ichimonji residence. During the dinner, I said something and Mutsuki responded by standing up and punching me right in the face."

"Ouch," Lenny said.

"It doesn't look as though Mutsuki forgives you for…" Tami started to say.

"Don't say it," Taky said. "Anyways, from what her mom just told me, Mutsuki might be suffering from mental instability. In fact, she's taking her to a psychiatrist right now."

"So, that's why you asked me if I knew any psychiatrists," Lenny said.

"Yeah," Taky said. "I'm really worried about her, you know." Tami then put a hand on Takahiro's shoulder.

"Taky…are you truly sorry for what happened?" Tami asked him.

"Tami…if I could turn back the clock and change everything that happened that night, I would," Taky said. "I just can't stop worrying about her." Lenny then put his hand on Taky's shoulder.

"Taky, I think you should take some time off," he said.

"Huh?"

"You've been overexerting yourself over the past week, and you look really worn out," Lenny said. "Besides, I can't have one of my doctors dozing off in the middle of an emergency."

"I guess I do look a little exhausted, huh?" Taky admitted.

"Yeah," Lenny said. "Look, why don't you take a few days off? I can have someone else fill in for you."

"You sure about that, Lenny?" Taky asked him.

"Definitely," Lenny said.

"Besides, a lot of women trust you," Tami added. "I'm sure you and this Mutsuki chick can patch things up."

"You really think so?" Taky asked.

"I know so, and I've only known you for about six months," Tami said.

"All right. I'll do it," Taky said.

"There's a good lad," Lenny said. "Just sign out and we'll take care of the rest."

"Will do, doc," Taky said as he went off to check himself out.

"What's this 'incident' that Taky was talking about?" the receptionist asked both Lenny and Tami.

"Get back to work!" Lenny and Tami said.

"Okay, okay. Keep your pants on!" the receptionist replied, doing receptionist thingies.

"Lenny…do you really think this Mutsuki chick will forgive Taky for this actions?" Tami asked her fellow doctor.

"We'll just have to wait and see," Lenny replied.

* * *

Back at the Maneki Resort, Mina and Fumitsuki were walking through the hallways of the resort. Both were wearing complimentary yukatas. 

"Are you sure it's okay for us to be wearing these in the hallways?" Fumitsuki asked Mina.

"I'm sure," Mina said. "I even asked that nice lady I played basketball with earlier."

"Is that the same one that threw a hissy-fit when they wouldn't let her in when we first got here?" Fumitsuki asked.

"Yes," Mina simply said. They soon arrived at the resort's Café Akiyama, and took a seat at a nearby table. At that moment, a young waitress with bluish hair and blue eyes approached them.

"Hello there," she said. "My name is Ami, and I'll be your waitress for today." She then handed them each a menu. "May I take your order, please?"

"Um…could you please give us a few minutes?" Fumitsuki asked her.

"Certainly," Ami said. "If you can't decide what you want, we have a buffet over there. Also, if you'd like a drink, the bar's right over there." At that moment, Hazuki, also wearing a yukata, walked up to the bar.

"Hey…Kintaro," Hazuki said to the bartender.

"Yes?" Kintaro, the brown-haired bartended, asked the pop star.

"I'd like a vodka martini, please," Hazuki said. "Shaken, not stirred."

"Sure thing, Miss Yazakura," Kintaro said, going to the back to make the drink. Hazuki then glanced around the café, noticing Fumitsuki and Mina sitting at one of the tables. Just then, Kintaro showed up with the martini. "Here you go, ma'am."

"Why, thank you," Hazuki said as she took the martini out of his hand and took a sip of it.

"Uh, that was stirred, not shaken, wasn't it?" Kintaro asked her.

"Perfect," Hazuki said. She then took another sip and walked over to the table where Mina and Fumitsuki were sitting at before sitting down. "Hey, girls."

"Hi, Hazuki," Mina said.

"Uh, is it okay for you to be drink that here?" Fumitsuki asked Hazuki.

"Sure it is, Mitsuki," Hazuki said as she took another sip of it. "Aah! You two need to drink this when you're old enough."

"Hazuki, I'm pretty sure that vodka is more alcoholic than sake," Mina said, "and remember what happened the last time you drank too much sake?"

"Mina, you worry too much," Hazuki said as she began drinking more of the martini. "You know…I was thinking of going to the private baths after lunch."

"Actually, we were just there," Fumitsuki said.

"We were actually in the women's baths, Fumitsuki," Mina said. "I was talking to Mike, and she said we need an advance reservation in order to use the private baths."

"Who's Mike?" Hazuki asked.

"She's someone I met earlier," Mina said. She then noticed Mike, also wearing a yukata, entering the café, she had a very upset look on her face. "Oh, there she is now."

"Stupid bitch telling me what I can and can't do in the club," Mike said, muttering to herself. "I'm a club member. I'm entitled to whatever the hell I want in this damn club." She then approached the bar. "Give me a tequila, Kintaro."

"S…sure thing, Miss Akiyama," Kintaro said, having been told by her brother to give her whatever she orders, no matter what kind of mood she's in. He then quickly poured a glass of tequila and slid it over to Mike, who drank it down in one gulp.

"Another," Mike said. Kintaro reluctantly then poured another glass.

"Are you sure she's a nice lady, Mina?" Hazuki asked Mina as she put down her martini.

"I think she is…" Mina said, "but then again, she did say some bad things about someone she competed against in high school…and she was arguing with the receptionist when I walked over to the women's bath."

"A bad temper, huh?" Hazuki asked.

"I guess you could say that," Mina said.

"I don't know," Fumitsuki said as she glanced over at Mike, who was having her fourth tequila. "She looks like she has a lot of anger management issues."

"Yeah," Hazuki said. "Mina, I don't want you hanging out with her."

"Oh, come on, Hazuki," Mina said. "She's actually very nice…once you get to know her."

"I'll bet," Hazuki said. At that moment, Ami walked up to the table.

"Would you two ladies like anything to drink?" Ami asked Mina and Fumitsuki.

"A 7 Up, please," Fumitsuki said.

"Same here," Mina said.

"Okay. I'll be right back," Ami said before the walked over to the bar where Mike had just downed her seventh tequila.

"More," Mike said.

"Um, don't you think you've had enough, Mike?" Kintaro asked him. Mike then grabbed Kintaro.

"I'll tell you when I've had enough, you perverted son of a bitch!" Mike screamed at him. At that momemt, Ami walked up to the bar.

"Kintaro, when you have a chance, could you make a 14 Up for me please?" Ami asked Kintaro.

"Certainly," Kintaro said. "Could you let go of me for about thirty seconds?" he asked Mike. Reluctantly, Mike let go. He then took out two glasses and poured the soft drink into each of them. "Here you go," he said to Ami.

"Thank you," Ami said as she took the glasses.

"No problem," Kintaro said just before Ami left the bar. Mike then grabbed him again.

"Are you going to give me my tequila, or am I going to have to kick your ass?" Mike asked Kintaro.

"Okay, okay. I see your point," Kintaro said, sweating heavily.

Back at the girls' table, Ami had brought them their drinks.

"Here you go," Ami said as she put the drinks on the table.

"Thank you very much," Fumitsuki said.

"Are you ready for your order now?" Ami asked them.

"We'll just have the buffet," Hazuki said.

"Thank you for ordering," Ami said. "Just remember to use a clean plate each time you go up there. And of course, it's all complimentary."

"Why, thank you very much for your service," Hazuki said as she slipped Ami two ¥10000 bills. "Be sure to give that nice little bartender one of those bills."

"I'll try to do that," Ami said before she took off. Hazuki then noticed Mina taking a sip of her 7 Up.

"So, how is it?" Hazuki asked her.

"Marvelous," Mina said.

"I couldn't have said it better myself," a dark-skinned man with a booming voice said as he was walking past them, enjoying a 7 Up himself. All three girls looked at him weirdly before looking back at each other.

"How about we go to the exercise room and then we go to the private bath after lunch?" Hazuki asked.

"Agreed," Mina and Fumitsuki said.

* * *

Back at the Akaishi Mountains, Susumu was still meditating. 

_However, the meditation quickly became a nightmare (for him) in which he was walking through a (non-foggy) forest, just enjoying the tranquility of nature, when he heard a seductive voice from behind him._

"_Susumu…" Susumu then turned around to find Yayoi Sanzenin tackling him onto the ground before stripping off his robes, leaving him completely naked._

"_Yayoi, what are you…mmph!" Susumu tried to say a few words before Yayoi, still dressed in her miko outfit, planted a kiss right on the lips._

"_I've always wanted to do this," Yayoi said in a seductive voice. She then began undressing in front of him. Susumu tried to get up, but he just laid down there, paralyzed with fear. As soon as Yayoi was completely naked, she again pounced on top of Susumu, pinning his shoulders to the ground. "Scream my name, Arisaka!"_

Susumu immediately snapped out of his meditation, then quickly glanced over at Yayoi, who was still meditating.

"I've got to get out of here," Susumu said to himself. He then stood up and ran deeper into the foggy woods.

About a half-hour later, Yayoi came out of her meditation, and noticed that she was all alone.

"Susumu?" She looked around the area for a moment. _Where in the world did he go?_, she then thought to herself.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the S.S. Ninomai, Kanna was resting uneasily in the ship's cabin. Kisaragi was deep-sea diving, and had given her strict orders not to leave the ship while she was gone. So, rather than risk Kisaragi's "wrath," Kanna decided that it would be better if she stayed in the cabin. Suddenly, a bump was heard coming from outside. 

"Huh?" This woke Kanna up, so she put on her glasses and walked out of the cabin and outside. She then saw what appeared to be a treasure chest on the ship's deck. "What in the…" She then heard water splashing, so she assumed that Kisaragi was climbing the ship's side and onto the deck. Indeed, Kisaragi just climbed over the railing and stepped onto the deck. She then removed her goggles, mask, and her hood. "K…Kisaragi!"

"Don't touch the chest," Kisaragi said. She then walked up the stairs to the bridge.

"But…why?" Kanna moaned.

"Because I need to inform my father first," Kisaragi said as she walked up to the radio. She then used the radio's telegraph key.

"What are you doing?" Kanna asked her.

"I'm using the telegraph," Kisaragi said.

"But why?" Kanna asked.

"Because you don't know anything about Morse Code, and I don't want you to eavesdrop on my talking to him," Kisaragi said. She then stopped, and awaited the reply from Hiroshi Ninomai on the other side.

"Well, what is he saying?" Kanna asked.

"We were just making sure we were connected, Kanna," Kisaragi said. She then sent her message over the telegraph key, and after she was finished, awaited the reply from the other side. After that, she checked the map to pinpoint there location.

"So, what did you tell him? What did he say?" Kanna asked impatiently.

"I told him about the chest I found underwater, and he wants to meet us in Kyoto to talk about it," Kisaragi said.

"Kyoto?" Kanna asked. "We're in the middle of the ocean! How are we going to get to Kyoto?"

"First off, we're in the Sea of Japan, not the ocean," Kisaragi said. "Now, we're only fifteen nautical miles from Kanazawa, so once we get there, we arrange for transportation to Kyoto."

"And how are we going to do that?" Kanna asked her. "Especially, if we're bringing _this_!" She pointed to the chest.

"Don't worry," Kisaragi said. "I can handle this."

* * *

Speaking of Kyoto, the Cosplay Group was walking down the street. 

"Congratulations, Shizuka," Yumiko said, very angrily. "You just _had_ to fondle that Sasami-waitress's breasts, didn't you? You just _had_ to get us thrown out of the restaurant, didn't you? You _had_ to drive me insane, didn't you?"

"Yumiko…" Shizuka said, with a frightened look on her face.

"If Suzuki and Shitennou weren't walking right behind us," Yumiko said as she briefly glanced over at Uzuki and Suzuki before turning back to Shizuka, "I would kill you where you stand."

"Yumi, I…"

"Forget it!" Yumiko said. "I just can't stand you anymore. Suzuki, you either have to kick this girl out of the group, or I'm leaving. Enough is enough!" At that moment, she fell to her knees and broke down in tears.

"Yumiko…" Shizuka tried to go to her, but Uzuki simply put her arm in front of her. Suzuki then walked up to Yumiko and stood in front of her. He then took off his glasses, put them in his pants pocket, then extended his hand.

"Yumi…" Suzuki said. Yumiko then took his hand, and he helped her up. He then removed her glasses and opened his arms in an embrace. She accepted the embrace and cried into Suzuki's shoulders. "It's okay, Yumi."

"Wow, he's really good," Shizuka said.

"I should know," Uzuki said. "He was there to help me when I was going through personal problems."

"Really?" Shizuka asked.

"Yep," Uzuki said. At that moment, Suzuki released the embrace and looked Yumiko right in the eyes.

"Yumiko, I understand what you're going through," Suzuki said. "You're obviously stressed out about Shizuka, and I can believe that. You should spend the rest of the day by yourself."

"You…you really think so?" Yumiko asked, wiping away some of her tears.

"I know so," Suzuki said as he put the glasses back on Yumiko's face. "Just be sure to call us when you're heading back to the lodging warehouse, okay?"

"Okay," Yumiko said. She then turned back to face the other girls. "I'll see you guys later."

"See you later, Yumi," Uzuki said.

"Yumi, I'm…" Shizuka tried to say something, but Yumi simply walked off.

"She just needs to cool off for a bit, Shi," Uzuki told her."

Meanwhile, as Yumiko had walked down the street a few blocks, two young men, one with maroon-colored hair, and the other with navy-colored hair, walked up to her.

"Excuse me, miss," the maroon-colored hair guy said to her, holding a type of card in his hand. "You dropped this." Yumi then turned around and noticed that it was her driver's license.

"Oh, my God!" Yumiko exclaimed as she saw the license. "I can't believe I dropped that!" She then took it from the young man. "Thank you very much!" She was about the leave, but the other guy called out to her.

"Hey…" the navy-haired guy asked. "My friend and I have a little bet here. Are you related to Ultimate Boxing star Sammy "Supernova" Nakamura?"

"Excuse me?" she asked them.

"We want to know if you're related to Ultimate Boxer "Supernova" Nakamura. I say your are. My pal here says you're not," the maroon-haired guy said.

"Yes," Yumiko said. "We're actually distant cousins. You'd have to go WAY back to find the connection to each other."

"Oh," both men said.

"Now, if you'll both excuse me," Yumiko said to the both of them before heading off down the street.

"Was she the chick we were looking for, Osamu?" the maroon haired guy asked his partner.

"No, Koushiro," Osamu said. "The boss said that the girl we're looking for is a blonde. Oh, here they come now." They then hid in a nearby alleyway while Suzuki, Uzuki, and Shizuka walked by.

"Is that her?" Koushiro asked, pointing to Shizuka.

"No," Osamu said bluntly. "The girl we're looking for is a natural blonde. It's obvious that _that_ girl over there is a bleached blonde."

"Really?" Koushiro wondered.

"Yes," Osamu said. He then pointed to Uzuki. "_That_ is the girl we're looking for."

"You sure about that?" Koushiro asked. Osamu simply responded by handing him a photograph of Uzuki Shitennou (note—this is the same photo seen in episode 1 when she is formally introduced). "Oh." He then noticed Osamu dialing his cell phone. "What are you doing?"

"Phoning the boss," Osamu said. After a second, he spoke up again, "Yes, we found her, boss."

"Good," the 'boss' said, calling from an office building in Kyoto. "Keep an eye on them. Make sure that none of them see you, and at the first possible time, get her over here. Remember…I want her alive!"

"Understood, sir," Osamu said. Then, Osamu hang up from his side. The 'boss' then laughed evilly, while holding a picture of Uzuki (the same one that Osamu had) in his hand.

"It's only a matter of time before you're in my clutches," the 'boss' said before laughing evilly again.

* * *

Back on the isle of Hokkaido, at the Sapporo South High School, Hikaru Ichimonji was on the phone in the front office. 

"So, what's going on with Mutsuki?" Hikaru asked his wife. Satomi was calling from a payphone in downtown Sapporo.

"Well, from what the psychiatrist told me, Mutsuki is suffering from a nervous breakdown due to a repressed memory," Satomi said.

"Repressed memory?"

"She's been trying to block the incident from her mind for the past several years," Satomi told her husband. "I think when you mentioned Takahiro's name, it immediately reminded her of what happened all those years ago. The doc said that Mu-chan should stay away from Dr. Kobayashi for at least 48 hours. We shouldn't even mention his name in front of her."

"I see…" Hikaru said, noticing Takahiro standing outside of the office. "Could we talk more about this later? I really need to be getting back to my classroom."

"I know. I'm keeping you from your class," Satomi said.

"Don't worry. I have them doing study hall, so they should be fine for now," Hikaru said. "Tell Mu-chan I said 'hi,' okay?"

"All right," Satomi said. "Remember, don't mention you know who's name in front of Mutsuki, okay?"

"I'll try," Hikaru said. "I'll see you at dinner, love."

"I'll be making you your favorite tonight," Satomi.

"Okay," Hikaru said. "See you tonight, love."

"_Ciao_," Satomi said from the other side. Hikaru then hung up, just as Taky entered the office.

"Hey, Sensei," Taky greeted him.

"Hello, Dr. Kobayashi," Hikaru replied.

"Was that Satomi?" Taky asked him.

"Yes, it was," Hikaru said. "What the hell are you doing here, anyway?"

"I was given time off," Taky said. "So, what did she say about Mutsuki?"

"Mutsuki is fine…physically," Hikaru said as he stood up. "Mentally…that's another story altogether."

"Hikaru…" Taky said, glaring at him.

"Okay, okay," Hikaru said before sighing. "Tomi told me that the psychiatrist told her that Mutsuki is suffering from a nervous breakdown."

"A nervous breakdown?" Takahiro wondered.

"From what I understand, a repressed memory," Hikaru explained.

"A repressed memory?" Taky said, then realized what Hikaru was talking about. He then sighed. "You make one mistake, and it haunts you for the rest of your life."

"Well, you're not going to like what I'm about to say next," Hikaru said. "The psychiatrist recommends that you stay away from Mutsuki for the next 48 hours."

"That bad, huh?"

"Yep." At that moment, one of the students, wearing an all-red school uniform, entered the office.

"Excuse me, Mr. Ichimonji," she said. She had short brown hair and brown eyes.

"May I help you, Miss Arika?" Hikaru asked one of this students, who happened to be the class president.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but some of the students smuggled some saké into the room again," Arika said. Hikaru just sighed somewhat in disgust.

"Those damned juvenile delinquents will never learn," Hikaru said to himself. "I'll be down there in a few minutes."

"Thank you, Sensei," Arika said, bowing before leaving the office.

"Hang on just a second," Taky called out, causing Arika to stop in her tracks. "You wouldn't happen to be the Class Representative, would you?"

"As a matter of fact, I am," Arika said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Taky said, extending his hand in friendship. "I'm Dr. Takahiro Kobayashi." The two of them then shook hands. "I was one of Mr. Ichimonji's students back in high school. I used to wrestle, but after I blew out my knee, I went into medicine, and…"

"Taky…enough," Hikaru said.

"Yes, Sensei," Taky said.

"I think you'd better get back to class, Arika," Hikaru told his class representative. "Let everyone know that I'll be there momentarily."

"Yes, sir," Arika said, bowing before heading out of the office.

"We'll talk later," Taky called out to Arika before she fully left the office. He then turned to his ex-teacher. "I still have it, Hikaru."

"Yes, indeed, you do," Hikaru said.

"She kind of reminds me a bit of Mutsuki," Taky said, talking about Arika.

"Really?"

"Yep," Taky said. "So…what are we going to do about this weekend?"

* * *

"Susumu?" Yayoi had been searching for her spiritual journey guide for the past several hours. She was carrying a lantern so that she could see through the dense fog throughout the forest. After a minute or so, she heard a faint scream coming deep from inside the woods. "Susumu!" She followed the voice through the woods and found Susumu Arisaka laying on the ground, holding his right leg in pain. "Susumu! What happened?" 

"I don't know," Susumu said. "I was walking through the woods and I tripped over this tree limb. I think I twisted my ankle." Yayoi then knelt down and took a look at his foot.

"It definitely looks sprained to me," Yayoi said. "We need to go back to the cabin."

"No."

"Don't be ridiculous, Susumu," Yayoi said. "This is a serious injury. You need first aid as soon as possible."

"I can walk it off," Susumu said. "Don't worry about it." He tried to stand up, but then fell back onto the ground. "Aah!"

"Just let me help you back to the cabin, Susumu," Yayoi said. "You're not going to be able to guide me in this condition, and our spiritual journey is pretty much ruined anyway."

"You know what…you're right," Susumu admitted, chuckling a little.

"I do have one question for you, though," Yayoi said. "You didn't do this on purpose, did you?"

"Just help me back to the cabin," Susumu said.

* * *

"So, who is this person we're meeting, Kisaragi?" Kanna asked Kisaragi, as the latter was bringing the ship in for docking at the Kanazawa docks. 

"I dated him shortly after I changed courses in college," Kisaragi said. "He runs his own little delivery service that covers the Kanto, Chubu, and Kansai regions."

"And which region are we at again?" Kanna asked.

"Oh, that's right. You flunked geography in the seventh grade," Kisaragi said. "We're in the Chubu region."

"Oh," Kanna said. As soon as the ship was fully docked, two young men, one with long black hair, pulled back into a ponytail, and wearing a black and blue bandanna, and the other with brown hair, somewhat hefty, walked up to the boat.

"Ahoy, there," the bandana boy shouted out to the ship's captain. The hefty guy then tapped the bandana boy on the shoulder.

"Are you sure this is the right place, Kai?" the hefty guy asked the bandana boy, now known as Kai.

"I'm sure, Toshi," Kai said to the hefty guy now known as Toshi. He then read out the ship's name on the hull. "S.S. Ninomai. Why does that name sound familiar to me?"

"Ahoy there," Kisaragi called out to the two gentlemen. She was wearing her lab coat and black bikini.

"Now I know why that name sounded familiar," Kai said.

"It's good to see you again, Kai," Kisaragi said, smiling a little.

"Nice to see you, too," Kai said. "I take it this is a business call, Kisaragi."

"Mostly," Kisaragi said. "You're welcome to come aboard if you'd like."

"We'd be glad to," Kai said. "Come on, Toshi. Let's board."

"Do we have to?" Toshi moaned.

"Yes," Kai and Kisaragi said.

In the ship's cabin, Kanna was hiding under the table.

"Why does Kisaragi have to bring those strange men on the ship?" she said out loud. "What did I do to deserve all of this?"

"This is basically what I wanted to show you." Kanna heard Kisaragi talking to someone. She then saw Kisaragi showing the 'strange men' the treasure chest that the chemistry teacher had found earlier.

"So, what's in the box?" Toshi asked Kisaragi.

"I don't know yet," Kisaragi said. "I want to take it to my father in Kyoto so he could help figure it out."

"And that's where we come in," Kai said. "You want us to deliver it your father in Kyoto?"

"Well, yes and no," Kisaragi said.

"What do you mean by that, Kisa-chan?" Kai asked her, a little confused.

"Kisa-chan?" Kanna wondered out loud, about to stand up, but bumped her head on the table. "Owie."

"Did you guys hear that?" Toshi asked.

"Hear what?" Kai said.

"This," Kisaragi said as she lifted up the tablecloth, allowing the boys to see Kanna hiding underneath it, holding her head in pain.

"Ow," Kanna simply said. Toshi then had a flirtatious look on his face.

"You know…you remind me of a girl I had a crush on in high school," Toshi said.

"Just kill me," Kanna said to the heavens.

"Who the hell is she, Kisaragi?" Kai asked her.

"That's Kanna," Kisaragi said. "We were childhood friends, but we didn't really see much of each other after I decided to go in another direction in college."

"You mean my direction, Kisa?" Kai asked.

"Exactly," Kisaragi said, flirting a little.

"Wait a sec…how do you two know each other exactly?" Toshi asked his partner.

"Well, we dated for a few years, but parted when our lives started to go in different directions," Kai said.

"Really?" Toshi asked.

"Yes," Kai said before turning to Kisaragi. "So, what's the cargo?"

"Myself, the girl, the chest, and no questions asked," Kisaragi said.

"Wait a sec…you want me to take you and this ditz…"

"My name is Kanna!" the mad scientist said, gritting her teeth.

"Whatever," Kai said. "Kisa-chan…I don't know if you're aware of this, but we aren't exactly a passenger service."

"I'll pay you triple…plus a little extra," Kisaragi said, in a somewhat seductive voice.

"Well, when you put it that way…I guess we can fit you all into our vehicle," Kai said.

"What?" Toshi said.

"WHAT?!" Kanna asked.

"We were actually going to just take the chest, but I guess we can take you guys to Kyoto as well if it's that important to you," Kai said.

"It is," Kisaragi said.

"Okay, then, we just need to get this thing into the truck, and we'll leave as soon as you're ready," Kai said.

"Okay," Kisaragi said.

"Wait a second," Kanna said. "How are you going to get that chest off of the ship?"

"We happen to be very strong boys, Miss Kanna," Toshi said. "We can handle this."

"Are you sure you can carry that, fat boy?" Kanna asked him.

"Hey, don't mock me," Toshi said. "I happen to have a bench press of 215 ½ kilograms (475 pounds)."

"One of the great advantages of having a guy like Toshi helping me out," Kai said.

"I see," Kisaragi said. "One question, though…what type of car do you own?"

"It's a Mitsubishi Challenger (Montero Sport for you Americans)," Kai said. "Should be sufficient for all your needs."

"It is," Kisaragi said. "We'll be ready in just a couple of minutes."

"All right," Kai said. "Come on, Toshi. Let's get this thing in the truck." And with that, the two of them went off to carry the chest to the truck.

"I thought those two would never leave," Kanna said.

"Don't get your hopes up," Kisaragi said as she was dialing her cell phone. "We're going with them, remember?"

"You had to remind me," Kanna moaned. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"I'm making a phone call," Kisaragi said as she wanted for who she was calling to pick up.

* * *

Uzuki, Suzuki, and Shizuka were busy seeing the sights of Kyoto. 

"So, where to now?" Shizuka asked.

"Well, I was thinking of going to see the Nintendo World Headquarters," Suzuki said.

"You're kidding, right?" Uzuki said.

"I am joking, sister," Suzuki said. At that moment, someone's cell phone rang.

"Mine," Uzuki said, just before she answered the phone. "Hello?" She then heard the person on the other side. "Kisaragi!"

"Who's she?" Shizuka asked.

"Don't you remember?" Suzuki said. "She one of the other 'mothers' of that boy."

"Oh…" Shizuka said. "Is she a lesbian?"

"Shut up," Uzuki said, covering the receiver. She then went back to talking to Kisaragi. "Sorry about that, Kisaragi. So, what's up? Have you heard from Mutsuki yet?"

"That's not why I'm calling, Uzuki," Kisaragi said from the other side. "Listen, I found a mysterious chest in the Sea of Japan, and my boyfriend is taking Kanna and I to Kyoto where my parents are so they can take a look at it."

"You have a boyfriend?" Uzuki wondered.

"Don't act so surprised, Uzuki," Kisaragi said from the other side. "I have a life outside of school and the lab, you know."

"Okay…" Uzuki said. "So, where are you at right now?"

"I'm in Kanazawa," Kisaragi said. "We're going to leave for Kyoto in a few minutes. Just thought I'd let you know."

"Oh, okay," Uzuki said. "By the way, have you heard from Mutsuki yet?"

"I'm sorry to say that I haven't," Kisaragi said, much to Uzuki's shock. "She hasn't even answered her mobile phone. I'll let you know if I hear anything, though."

"Okay, Kisaragi," Uzuki said.

"Listen, we're getting ready to leave now," Kisaragi said. "I'll call you back as soon as I get an opportunity."

"Okay," Uzuki said. "I hope we run into each other while you're in Kyoto."

"Well, I probably won't be staying too long, though," Kisaragi said. "But anything is possible."

"Yes," Uzuki said. "Well, I'll talk to you later, Kisaragi."

"Okay," Kisaragi said. And with that, she then hung up.

"What was all that about?" Shizuka asked.

"That's not really any of your business, Shizuka," Uzuki said. "So, what now?"

"How about this?" Suzuki asked. "Why don't we go to the Kyoto Tower?"

"That's a great idea, Suzuki," Uzuki said. "What do you think, Shizuka?" Shizuka had a nervous look on her face. "Shizuka?"

"You guys get the feeling we're being followed?" Shizuka asked them.

"Followed?" Uzuki said nervously. As she was about to turn her head, Suzuki stopped her.

"Don't turn around," Suzuki whispered to her. Indeed, behind them, Koushiro and Osamu were following them.

"What are they saying, man?" Koushiro said.

"I don't know yet," Osamu said. "They haven't noticed us, though."

"Oh," Koushiro said. He then noticed Suzuki giving hand signals to the two women. "Do you know what he's doing? I fell asleep during sign language class."

"I'm not sure…" Osamu said. Just then, the three cosplayers then split up and ran off. "Dammit, they're running off!"

"So, what do we do?!" Koushiro asked him.

"Call for backup," Osamu said as he cocked his gun. "I'm going after her."

"But you don't even know where she went!" Koushiro said.

"Just call for backup, stupid," Osamu said as he ran off after them.

"What an idiot," Koushiro said as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed some numbers.

Shizuka was running through a nearby park when she saw two guys dressed up like The Blues Brothers on their cell phones.

"Oh, crap!" she said when she saw the two guys staring at her. She then ran off, with the 'Blues Brothers' following her. She tried to evade them by jumping over park benches, wading through a pond, and blatantly jaywalking across a busy city street.

"Hey, watch where you're going, bitch!" a random driver yelled at Shizuka.

Meanwhile, Koushiro was chasing after Suzuki. Suzuki ran into a nearby shopping arcade, bobbing and weaving through numerous shoppers. He then noticed a couple of geishas in front of one of the stores, which gave him a light bulb in his head.

Koushiro then entered the shopping arcade, searching for Suzuki. He then passed some geishas performing in front of one of the stores, but didn't think twice about one of them. As soon as Koushiro was out of sight, one of the geishas took off 'his' wig, revealing him to be none other than Takashi Suzuki.

"Thank you, ladies," Suzuki said as he was removing the geisha outfit to reveal a casual outfit underneath it. He then handed each of them (three in all) a ¥10000 bill. "Here. Something to help you out." He then ran off, and the three ladies giggled in response. Koushiro was still running, then he turned around and noticed Suzuki running off.

"Dammit! I fell for it again!" Koushiro yelled before going after Suzuki again.

Uzuki, in the mean time, noticed Osamu chasing after her, and she couldn't shake him, no matter which way she took. She then noticed a women's restroom up ahead.

"Great!" Uzuki said. "He can't follow me in there!" She then ran into the facilities and went into a vacant cubicle before locking the door behind her. She sat down on the toilet seat (it's a Western-style toilet, and she was fully clothed, you perverts!), trying to think of an idea to try to get back to the warehouse when she heard a knock on the door.

"I know you're in there, Miss Shitennou!" She gasped when she heard that it was a _male_ voice. In fact, it was Osamu, who knocked on the door again. "Open the door right now, or I'm break it down!"

"Hey!" a woman then called out to Osamu. "This is the girl's bathroom! No men allowed!" It was Yumiko! She had just entered the restroom.

"Is…is that Yumi?" Uzuki said from inside the stall.

"Oh, really?" Osamu asked sarcastically. "And what are _you_ going to do about it, huh?"

"This," Yumiko said, crackling her knuckles in the process.

Just then, outside of the bathroom, we hear a girlish scream coming from inside.

Uzuki then heard another knock from outside of the stall.

"It's all right, Uzuki," Yumiko said. "You can come out now." Reluctantly, Uzuki unlocked the door to the stall and opened the door, noticing Yumiko washing her hands in the sink. "You won't have to worry about this…individual any longer, Uzuki." She then tossed the paper towel into the trash bin. At that moment, Uzuki immediately embraced Yumiko.

"I was so scared, Yumi," Uzuki said, crying a little. She then looked at Yumiko in the eyes. "What exactly did you do to him, Yumi-chan?"

"Just a little procedure I learned in the United States," Yumiko said.

"What procedure?" Uzuki asked nervously.

"Removing the manly part of the man," Yumiko said. At that moment, Uzuki looked down onto the ground, and found Osamu with his pants (underwear, too) pulled down to his ankles, and a bloody mark where his…manhood…used to be.

"Oh, good God!" Uzuki exclaimed.

"Let's get the hell out of here," Yumiko said. At that moment, the two of them left the bathroom. "Why was that guy chasing you, anyway?"

"You know that creepy guy that we saw getting off of the train earlier?"

"You mean your stepfather?" Uzuki nodded.

"I think that guy works for my stepdad," Uzuki said.

"You sure about that?" Yumiko asked.

"I really don't know," Uzuki said. "I must be losing my mind. Let's just head back to the hideout."

"Okay," Yumiko said. As they were walking back to the warehouse, Uzuki spoke up again.

"Hey, Yumi…"

"Yeah?"

"Where exactly did you learn that…technique?" Uzuki asked her, blushing a little.

"Someone I met in America taught me," Yumiko said. "I forget if his name is Joe or Jim, but it's a nifty little technique. Shizuka knows how to perform the procedure as well."

"Thanks for telling me that," Uzuki said, feeling a little uneasy.

Speaking of Shizuka, she was trapped in the middle of a Kyoto sidewalk, with one 'blue brother' approaching her from one direction, and the other 'blue brother' approaching her from the opposite direction. At that moment, a woman w/red hair wearing a business suit (the same one we saw earlier) exited a nearby building, talking on a cell phone.

"Yes, I understand," the woman spoke into her phone. "Yes, I realize that we need to alter our business strategy for our Kyoto and Osaka department stores." She then heard what the man on the other end had to say. "Don't worry. I will handle things over of this end." Just then, Shizuka grabbed the businesswoman, much to her surprise, and planted a kiss right on the lips. This turned into very wild make-out session, much to the surprise to the 'blues brothers' approaching the two girls. After about a minute or so, Shizuka pulled back, and the businesswoman was incredibly stunned by what just happened. She then noticed that her phone was still on and that the person she was talking to was still there. "I'll, uh…call you back later." She then hung up. When she turned around, she found the two bad boys, but no Shizuka.

"Where did that bitch go?" one of the 'bros' said.

"I don't know, but MAN…that woman is crazy!" the other 'bro' said. The businesswoman then ran down the street, leaving the two henchmen by themselves.

"Hey, you want to go get some crack?" the first 'bro' asked the other.

"Sure," the other 'bro' said.

Now, as for Suzuki, he had managed to lose Koushiro for the time being, so he decided to pull out his cell phone and dial some numbers. He was in the middle of a park.

"Come on, come on!" he said to himself as he was waiting to get a signal. He then checked his phone, which had no bars on it. "Dammit, no signal! Now, what the hell am I going to do?" At that moment, he was clubbed in the back of the head by a nightstick. A large man then put a pair of handcuffs on Suzuki then placed him over his shoulder.

"I got him, boss," the big guy said to a shadowy figure.

"Excellent," the shadowy figure said, stepping out of the shadows to reveal himself to be Koushiro. "Get him back to headquarters immediately." At that moment, the big guy then carried Suzuki off, with Koushiro following closely.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the Maneki Resort, the girls had been in the exercise room for a few hours, and they were now relaxing in the private bath. 

"You know, I'm glad we decided to come here," Hazuki said. "I haven't been this relaxed since…hell, I don't think I've ever been this relaxed."

"You said it," Fumitsuki said. She then glanced over at Minazuki, and noticed that she was dozing off a little. "You okay there, Mina?"

"Hmm?" Mina had one eye open, barely focused on Fumitsuki.

"I asked if you were okay."

"Oh, sorry about that, Fumitsuki," Mina said, yawning a little. "I guess I'm a little tired."

"Yeah, I'm a little beat myself." Hazuki said. "I think we're going to head back soon." At that moment, Hazuki sat up, revealing her fully nude body, and causing Fumitsuki to turn away and blush. "I'm going to go change now." Hazuki was using a nearby towel to dry herself as she was walking back into the changing room. "If you girls are looking for me, I'll be in the lobby." Fumitsuki kept her eyes closed for about a minute until she opened her right eye, and glanced over at the curtain that separated the private bath from the changing room. She then glanced over at Mina and noticed that Mina's hand was directly on her thigh!

"Ah! Mina!" Fumitsuki screamed.

"Huh?"

"Your hand is on my thigh!" Mina then glanced down and noticed her hand on Fumitsuki's thigh.

"Oh, sorry about that!" Mina said, immediately taking her hand off of the nude body. "I didn't realize where my hand was!"

"Uh-huh," Fumitsuki said, not really believing her. "I'm going to go meet Hazuki in the lobby. Could you please turn around and cover your eyes?"

"Sure thing, Fumitsuki," Mina said, just before turning away and covering her eyes with her hands. She then heard a splash coming from near her, so she assumed that Fumitsuki was stepping out of the water. After a bit, Mina glanced a bit at the entryway, seeing Fumitsuki, holding her towel in front of her, revealing her bare butt, heading into the changing rooms. This caused Minazuki to smirk a little, giving her an evil idea…

In the changing room, Fumitsuki was opening her locker to change into her clothes. She soon removed her towel, but before she could put her clothes on, Minazuki (who was fully nude) snuck up behind her and pinched her right butt cheek!

"Aah!" Fumitsuki screamed. She then turned around, but saw no one there. "Who's there?!" Mina then snuck behind her again and pinched her left butt cheek! "AAH!" She turned around again, and again found no one there. "What the hell?" She then shrugged it off and took her clothes out of the locker to dress.

Meanwhile, in the lobby, Hazuki was watching a martial arts competition emanating from Melbourne, Australia.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this next bout is a semifinal taekwondo match, three rounds of two minutes each," the ring announcer on TV spoke to the live crowd. "Introducing first, to my right, in the red uniform, residing in London, England, representing the United Kingdom, Layla Kalba." Kalba was wearing a red martial arts uniform w/black belt. She had long black hair, tanned skin, and brown eyes. She had a serious look on her face. "And her opponent…to my left, in the blue uniform, from Okinawa, representing Japan, Misaki Oshiro." Misaki, wearing the blue uniform, also had black hair, only shorter. She also, had a serious look on her face.

"Well, I know who I'm rooting for." Hazuki immediately turned to find Ichiro Akiyama sitting next to her. "You want to know something interesting?" Mike then asked Hazuki. "Oshiro's only 18 years old."

"Eighteen?"

"Yep," Mike said. "And she's been a professional for the past two years."

"Wow," Hazuki said.

"We haven't been properly introduced," Ichiro said, extending his hand. "Ichiro Akiyama. I'm the manager and operator of the Manekigaoka Resort and Spa."

"Hazuki Yazakura," Hazuki said, while shaking his hand. "But you already knew that."

After a few minutes, Fumitsuki (fully dressed) came into the lobby, noticing Hazuki and Ichiro watching the TV.

"What are you guys watching?" Fumitsuki asked them.

"It's a martial arts tournament," Hazuki said.

"Not just a martial arts tournament, Miss Yazakura," Ichiro said. "This is the World Martial Arts Championship. This is the best of the best competing for the right to be called the world's greatest martial artist. Of course, you get medals for second and third place, but the object is to be the best! Plus, you have to be pretty damn talented to win the whole thing. Look at Oshiro. She's only 18, but she's a _shichidan_…a seventh-degree black belt."

"S…seventh degree?" Fumitsuki asked.

"Yep," Ichiro said. "In fact, ever since becoming a professional, she's challenged men to take on her, and to date, only _one_ man has taken her off her feet."

"Who?" both Hazuki and Fumitsuki asked.

"Mako Tsunami," Ichiro said, smiling.

"Who's he?" Hazuki asked.

"He's a professional wrestler," Ichiro explained. "Here's an interesting fact. His dad was also a professional wrestler. You guys ever hear of the Giant Gokajou?"

"Nope," Fumitsuki said.

"Nuh-uh," Hazuki said.

"Oh," Ichiro said. "Just asking."

"Wait a second," Fumitsuki then said, thinking about what Ichiro just said, before turning to Hazuki. "You don't suppose…"

"Nah!" both of them then said. At that moment, Michiru Akiyama, the younger sister of one Ichiro Akiyama, walked up to the group, with a very aggravated look on her face.

"Hello, sis," Ichiro greeted his sister.

"Ichiro…" Mike said, while glaring at him, "do me a favor and fire that incompetent receptionist of yours."

"I'll put it on my list, Mike," Ichiro said.

"Wait a second," Fumitsuki said. "You were drinking seven glasses of tequila earlier. How are you okay?"

"Alcohol doesn't really bother me," Mike explained. "It's when I drink over two litres, that's when it really takes affect."

"Oh…" Fumitsuki said. At that moment, Mina arrived, fully dressed.

"Hey, guys," Mina greeted them.

"Hey, Mina," Hazuki greeted back.

"What are you guys watching?" Mina asked them.

"It's the World Martial Arts Championship," Ichiro explained. "The best of the best."

"Interesting," Mina said. She then noticed the woman she met earlier in the day. "Hi, Mike."

"Hey, uh…uh…," Mike seemingly forgot Minazuki's name. "What was your name again, kid?"

"Mina."

"Oh, hey, Mina," Mike said. "Nice to see you again."

"You too," Mina said, smiling. Fumitsuki had a somewhat nervous look on her face, based on what happened earlier.

"Well, I'm going to check us out now," Hazuki said. "You guys can keep watching the TV while I do that."

"Okay, Hazuki," Mina said. She then sat down on the couch right next to Fumitsuki, much to the latter's shock. Hazuki then went off to the receptionists desk.

"You girls want to know something?" Ichiro asked Fumitsuki and Minazuki. "The very first World Martial Arts Championship began in 1966, held right here in Japan. Since then, it's become an annual event, with the best martial artists from all over the world. It wasn't twenty years later, though, that women were allowed to compete."

"I don't think they really care, Ichi," Mike said.

"Mike, what did I say about calling me 'Ichi'?" Ichiro asked, with an annoyed look on his face.

"Never mind," Mike said meakly.

"What kind of martial arts do they have at this tournament?" Mina asked Ichiro.

"Well," Ichiro explained, "they have aikido, they have boxing, fencing, judo, jujitsu, karate, kendo, kickboxing, sambo, savate, taekwondo, and Taido."

"Wow," Mina said.

"I'm just curious...how well has this Misaki Oshiro done in this World Martial Arts Championship?" Fumitsuki then asked.

"Well, this is only her second one," Ichiro said. "Last year, in her debut, she made it all the way into the semis, beating Germany's Heidi Brandt in the quarters, and then lost, controversially, in my opinion, to Egypt's Jamila Ishtar in the semifinal round. Her manager then tried to appeal the decision, but failed, and she then lost the Bronze Medal round very quickly. Now since she beaten Kalba, she faces Iceland's Eva Sigmarsson in the Gold Medal round. Eva's one of the toughest martial artists to ever come out of Europe. In fact, she's won a gold medal every time she's competed in the WMAC."

"Wow," Fumitsuki said.

"Ah, she's just a showoff, just like Oshiro," Mike said.

"Well, don't say that to their faces," Ichiro. "You remember that news story about Sigmarsson attacking a fan after he insulted her?"

"I heard about it," Mina said. "Is she really that hot-tempered?"

"Let me put it this way," Ichiro said. "Say the wrong thing to her, and BAM!!" He then slammed his hand into his fist. This worried Minazuki and Fumitsuki. At that moment, Hazuki came back.

"Okay, I got us all checked out," Hazuki said. "Time to go." Fumitsuki and Mina then moaned in response. "Don't worry. We'll come back sometime next week." As they were getting ready to leave, Mike tapped Mina on the shoulder.

"Listen, if you ever need a girl to talk to, here's my phone number," Mike said as she handed her a slip of paper with some writing on it.

"Thanks,"

"No problem."

"Mina!" Hazuki called out to her sister.

"Oh, I've got to go now," Mina said. "I promise I'll call you."

"Just don't call me between the hours of 8 p.m. and 10 a.m.," Mike told her. "I'll be asleep, busy, to not in the mood to talk."

"Okay," Mina said, smiling.

"Minazuki!" Hazuki called out again.

"Coming, Hazuki!" Minazuki then ran off, leaving Mike by herself (Ichiro had already gone off to do managerial things.).

"Cute girl," Mike then said to no one in particular. "Reminds me of myself at that age."

Some time later, in the Honda Civic, Hazuki was driving, with Mina in the front seat, and Fumitsuki in the back seat.

"So, what are we going to have for dinner tonight, sis?" Mina asked Hazuki.

"How about pizza tonight?" Hazuki suggested.

"Yay! Pizza!" Mina cheered.

"Pizza?" Fumitsuki had a somewhat disgusted look on her face. "No offence, Hazuki, but I don't really like pizza."

"Well, too bad, because that's what we're having," Hazuki said. "I already called ahead. It should be there by the time we get back." Fumitsuki simply groaned in response.

"Relax, Fumitsuki," Mina said as she turned to her. "You can fix yourself something up for dinner." She then noticed that Fumitsuki had a somewhat pensive look on her face. "Are you okay, Fumitsuki?"

"Yeah…just peachy," Fumitsuki said uneasilty.

Indeed, as soon as they got home, the pizza guy was relaxing outside the condo, with a pizza bag on the floor near him.

"Took you guys long enough," the pizza guy said. (Note: This was the same pizza guy that delivered the pizza to Kisaragi. Don't ask why.)

"Sorry. Traffic was hectic," Hazuki apologized while taking out the money.

"Ah, don't worry about it," the pizza guy said. He then pointed to the pizza bag. "This baby kept your pizzas nice and hot while I was waiting."

"Nice to know that," Hazuki said. "So, what do I owe you?"

"Two large pizzas with various toppings, plus the fact that you made me wait for nearly fifteen minutes, your total is ¥8100," the pizza guy said as he took the pizzas out of the bag. Hazuki then handed him a ¥10000 bill.

"Keep the change," Hazuki said. She then took the pizzas.

"Wow, thanks," the pizza guy said. "Hey, did you notice a chalk line outside of the building?"

"Yeah, I did," Hazuki said. "I was talking to one of the neighbors, and he told me that the guy only suffered a concussion. Everyone thought he was dead at first."

"Oh," the pizza guy said. "Thanks for the huge tip."

"Anytime," Hazuki said, winking.

* * *

Back at the mountain cabin, Yayoi rested Susumu on the bed. 

"I'll be right back," Yayoi told him. "I just need to change first. Be sure to keep that foot elevated."

"Yes, Miss Sanzenin," Susumu said. At that moment, she left the bedroom to head over to her chambers. "What did I do to deserve this?" Susumu then asked out loud. He then dozed off for a while before Yayoi returned.

"I'm back," Yayoi said, now wearing her nurse's jacket over her yukata.

"You look…lovely," Susumu said.

"Thank you," Yayoi said. "Susumu…there's something I need to tell you." She then knelt down beside his bed. "When I was in high school, I was voted 'Most Seductive' by my classmates."

"I can understand why," Susumu said, remembering to earlier in the day.

"I'm real sorry about what happened earlier, Susumu," Yayoi said, blushing a little. "I guess my seductiveness sometimes interferes in my personal and professional life."

"Look, I don't blame you for what happened earlier," Susumu said. "You are an attractive woman, Yayoi. And I hate to admit it, but I do have a bit of a crush on you.

"You…you do?" Yayoi was a little baffled by what Susumu just said.

"Yes," Susumu said. "Yayoi…there's something I need to tell you." He then sighed before speaking again. "I never really wanted to go into the priesthood. My dad actually forced me into it. I really wanted to be a photographer."

"A photographer?" Yayoi asked. "What kind of photographer?"

"Promise you won't laugh," Susumu said.

"I promise." Susumu sighed before speaking again.

"I wanted to take pictures of…scantily-clad women," Susumu said, somewhat ashamedly.

"Oh," Yayoi said.

"You must think I'm a pervert," Susumu said.

"I do, a little," Yayoi said. "But that's what makes you so handsome."

"You really think I'm handsome?"

"I know you're handsome," Yayoi said. "Say, do you have a camera around here somewhere?"

"Yes, it's in my closet," Susumu said. "Maybe if I'm feeling a little better, you can be my subject…that is, if you're willing…"

"I've done some very crazy things in my life, Susumu," Yayoi said as she was examining his foot. "One time, when I was in college, we were doing an amateur talent competition, and I walked out on stage draped in the Japanese flag. You can only guess what I had on underneath."

"Nothing?" Susumu asked, blushing a little.

"Exactly," Yayoi said. "Well, if you can keep it elevated for tonight, we'll see how it feels tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir," Susumu said, with a mock salute following it.

"Well, I can see that you need some rest," Yayoi said. "I'll come back before I go to sleep tonight."

"Yayoi…would you mind sleeping here tonight?" Susumu asked, blushing a little.

"Wha…what did you just say?" Yayoi replied, blushing profusely.

"Not like that, Sazenin," Susumu said. "You could just sleep on a futon next to my bed."

"Sorry…my mind must have been wandering," Yayoi said. "I'll bring the futon over here."

"Never mind about that," Susumu said. "I've got a spare futon in my closet. You can use that."

"Why, thank you, Mr. Arisaka," Yayoi said. "I'll go make us something nice for dinner tonight." As she was about to leave, Susumu spoke up again.

"I just have one question," Susumu said. "Do you work out?"

"Twice a week," Yayoi said. She then went into the kitchen, leaving Susumu all by his lonesome.

_Maybe this isn't so bad after all_, he thought to himself.

* * *

Back at the Ichimonji Ranch, Satomi and Mutsuki were setting the table for dinner. 

"Are you sure you're feeling okay, Mu-chan?" Satomi asked her.

"I'm fine, mama," Mutsuki said.

"I'm just a little worried, you know," Satomi said.

"I'm your mother," they both said simultaneously.

Just then, Hikaru entered the dining room.

"Hello, ladies," Hikaru said, in a somewhat sexy voice.

"Daddy!" Mutsuki went over to hug him.

"Hey!" Hikaru then ruffled his daughter's hair before releasing the hug. He then went over to his wife.

"Hello, dear," Satomi said, as she finished setting the table. Hikaru then started kissing her all over her face. "Oh, hey! Watch it!" The two then started an intense make-out session.

"There's something I need to tell you…but I can't tell you in front of Mutsuki," Hikaru said in between kisses.

"But Hikaru…I still need to check on our dinner," Satomi said.

"Mutsuki can do that," Hikaru said, then they stopped kissing. "Besides, it's about…you know."

"Who?" Satomi said, then realizing what he was talking about. "Oh…I see. Mutsuki, your father and I need to talk to each other in private. You can check on dinner, can't you?"

"Sure thing, mom," Mutsuki said.

"Okay," Satomi said, just before Hikaru dragged her out of the room. "Whoops. See you later, Mu-chan." Mutsuki just stared at her in confusion.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Satomi spoke up.

"Okay, Karu," Satomi said, "what is so important that you had to drag me from the middle of making dinner?"

"It's about…Takahiro," Hikaru said, making absolutely sure that Mutsuki was out of earshot.

"What's this have to do with Dr. Kobayashi?" Satomi asked her husband.

"He's coming over tomorrow with his supervisors from the hospital," Hikaru explained. "They want to see the Ranch."

"Supervisors?" Satomi wondered.

"Lenny Robinson and Tami Yamada," Hikaru said. "Lenny is from England, so the two of you will probably bond quickly, and Tami happens to like ice sports."

"I'm only half-British, you know," Satomi said with a British accent.

"And I'm glad that you are," Hikaru said. "Taky's going to wait in the car while you two meet him, but I would appreciate it if you and Mutsuki would do something for the rest of the day while he and I give them a tour of the place."

"I don't know…" Satomi wondered.

"Please, Tomi," Hikaru pleaded. "Taky would really like for you and Mu-chan to meet them."

"Well…all right," Satomi said. "I won't tell Mutsuki about 'you know who,' but I will tell her that we'll be having some guests tomorrow."

"That would be fine," Hikaru said. "Shall we?"

"Let's," Satomi said as they walked arm-in-arm back to the dining room.

"You want to know what else he told me?" Hikaru asked.

"What?"

"That his supervisor couldn't believe that you're half-British," Hikaru said. "Or that the fact that your father was a Royal Navy officer."

"Well, some people do find that hard to believe," Satomi said. As soon as they reached the table, all three plates were filled with delicious food, with Mutsuki standing in front of the table.

"Dinner is served," Mutsuki said.

* * *

Meanwhile, inside of the Mitsubishi Challenger sports utility vehicle, Kisaragi and company are traveling via freeway from Kanazawa, Ishikawa, to the city of Kyoto. In the vehicle, Kai was driving, with Kisaragi riding shotgun, Kanna sitting behind Kai, Toshi sitting behind Kisaragi, and the chest was in the way back. 

"So, one time, Kisaragi came up with this weird concoction and she wanted me to try it," Kai told everyone in the SUV. "Well, I take a swig of this serum, and the next thing I know, my sex drive is increased, like, ten times, and…"

"Oh, my God!" Kanna exclaimed.

"I didn't even finish," Kai said. "We ended up having sex for ten whole days."

"Oh, God, I didn't want to hear that," Kanna moaned.

"That does sound kind of sick," Toshi said. "Remind me to never try any of Kisaragi's experiments."

"I'll try not to use you as my guinea pig whenever I come up with a new invention," Kisaragi said.

"G…guinea pig?" Toshi worried.

"Forget about it, Toshi," Kai said. After a few moments of silence, Kanna spoke up again.

"Are we there yet?" Kanna asked.

"No, we just entered the Fukui Prefecture," Kai said. "We still have quite a ways to go."

"Damn," Kanna said. After a while, Toshi started to fall asleep on Kanna's shoulder, much to her chagrin. What made it worse was the fact that he was snoring! In the front seat, Kisaragi had a somewhat worried look on her face.

"Hey, Kisa-chan?" Kai asked her.

"Yes, Kaito?"

"I don't think we're going to make it to Kyoto before dark, considering this traffic," Kai said. "We're going to have to stay at a hotel for the night. Are you going to call your dad?"

"You know what, thanks for reminding me," Kisaragi said as she took out her cell phone. She then dialed some numbers and awaited for a response.

"Hello?"

"Hi, daddy," Kisaragi greeted her father.

"Oh, hey, Ki-chan," Hiroshi Ninomai said. "Are you guys in Kyoto already?"

"No, we're in the middle of a traffic jam in Fukui, so we're going to stop at a hotel tonight," Kisaragi explained.

"Well, all right," Hiroshi said. "I guess you're not in any hurry to get here, but I'm real anxious to see what's inside of the chest you're bringing me. By the way, who are the men that are bringing you here again?"

"Well, there's my boyfriend, Kaito Yoshida," Kisaragi explained, "and his partner, uh…" she then turned to Kai. "What's his full name, Kai?"

"Satoshi Miyamoto," Kai said.

"Thank you," Kisaragi said before turning back to her phone. "Satoshi Miyamoto, but he prefers to be called Toshi."

"Okay," Hiroshi said. "Let me know when you're close to my Kyoto lab, all right?"

"Okay," Kisaragi said. "Tell mom I said 'hi'."

"All right," Hiroshi said. "I'll see you when you get here."

"Until then, daddy," Kisragi said.

"Bye, Ki-chan." Kisaragi then hung up the phone, and continued staring out the window.

* * *

Back at the Yakazura condo, Fumitsuki continued to avoid Mina throughout the rest of the night, still embarrassed about what happened in the locker room earlier in the day. Later that night, Mina way laying on her bed reading her "Hockey Girls" manga when Fumitsuki entered the room, wearing her pajamas. 

"Minazuki?"

"Yeah, Fumitsuki?" Mina was wearing a black Yomiuri Giants jersey and her pink panties.

"I'm just curious…did you pinch my butt in the girls' locker room earlier today?" Fumitsuki asked her.

"Are you asking me?" Mina said, with a somewhat innocent look on her face.

"Mina…" Fumitsuki started gritting her teeth. Sighing, Mina realized she was backed into a corner.

"Yes, I pinched your butt in the locker room," Mina admitted. She then put down the manga and stood up off of the bed.

"Why did you do that?" Fumitsuki asked her.

"I don't know," Mina said, turning away in shame. "I just don't know why I did that. I'm real sorry, Fumitsuki." She turned around and noticed that Fumitsuki wasn't there. "Fumitsuki?"

At that moment, Fumitsuki snuck up behind Mina, and pulled down her panties. She then pinched both of her buttocks.

"Aah!" Mina screamed, then she rubbed her sore butt before realizing the condition she was currently in. "Eep!" She quickly pulled her pants back up and turned to Fumitsuki, with a VERY angry look on her face. "What was THAT for?"

"I simply did to you what you did to me. Now we're even," Fumitsuki said.

"Oh, really?" Mina asked with an evil look on her face.

"Uh, Mina…why are you looking at me like that?" Fumitsuki asked nervously.

"Because, now I'm going to do this!" She then snuck up behind her and started squeezing her breasts.

"AAH! MINA!"

"You've really got some big boobies, Fumitsuki," Mina said, continuing to squeeze Fumitsuki's breasts. After a bit, Fumitsuki managed to somehow power out of Mina's intense hold on her chest. Fumitsuki then turned around and faced Minazuki like she wanted to kill her.

"You are so dead," Fumitsuki said with an evil look in her eyes. At that moment, she tackled Minazuki onto the floor. Mina tried to get out of Fumitsuki's grasp, but she couldn't. She class president immediately pulled down Mina's panties before grabbing the bottom of her baseball shirt and lifting it off, leaving her completely nude.

"What in the world is going on…?" Hazuki had just entered the room, and found Fumitsuki on top of Minazuki in a…compromising position.

"It's, uh…not what you think," Fumitsuki said nervously.

"Mitsuki, I think it would be best if you slept on the couch tonight," Hazuki said.

"But, Hazuki…"

"I don't want to hear it," Hazuki said sternly. "Just grab a pillow, and go the couch now." Fumitsuki did so, and Hazuki noticed her younger sister in a fetal position on the floor, completely naked.

"Mina, would you mind telling me what the hell happened between you two earlier?" Hazuki asked her.

"Well, uh…could I put some clothes on first?" Mina asked, embarrassed about her current state. Hazuki then took out a pair of pajamas (green two-piece) and tossed them over to Mina.

"All right," Hazuki said. "What exactly happened between you two today?"

"Well," Mina said as she began unbuttoning the shirt in preparing to put in on, "when we were in the private bath, just after you went back into the locker room, I put my hand on Fumitsuki's thigh, but I wasn't aware of it until Fumitsuki told me." She then put the shirt on and started buttoning it. "Then, after she went into the locker room to change, I snuck in behind her, and I got the urge to pinch her butt, which I did." She then slipped her legs into the pants and pulled them up. "And just a minute ago, when she asked me about it, she pinched my butt, and I retaliated by squeezing her boobs, and when she stripped my clothes off, that's when you came in."

"Oh…" Hazuki didn't know what to think of what her sister just told her.

"Hazuki…" Mina immediately faced her adopted older sister.

"Yeah, Mina?" Mina immediately embraced her sister, crying while doing so.

"I'm real sorry for everything's happened today," Minazuki said, still crying.

"Don't worry about it, Mina," Hazuki said, comforting her younger sister. "You're just a little confused about your sexuality."

"Really?" Mina said, with some tears still coming from her eyes.

"Mm-hmm," Hazuki said, just before wiping her sister's eyes. "Look, just sleep on it tonight. We'll talk more about this in the morning."

"Okay," Mina said, smiling a little. "Good night, Hazuki."

"Good night, sis." And with that, Hazuki left the bedroom and shut the door behind her. At that moment, Minazuki stared out of her bedroom window.

_What really caused me to do that to Fumitsuki today?_ Mina thought to herself.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the city of Kyoto, Shizuka entered the secret alleyway. 

"Whew! Finally lost them," Shizuka said to herself. At that moment, the door to the 'hideout' opened, and Uzuki popped through the door.

"Shizuka!"

"Uzuki, you made it all right!" Shizuka and Uzuki then embraced each other, before quickly separating from each other. "So…did everyone make it back okay?"

"Well, I ran into Yumiko earlier, and she helped me out big time," Uzuki explained, "but…" She couldn't finish her sentence.

"So, what's wrong?" Shizuka asked Uzuki. Uzuki had a real worried look on her face.

"Have you heard from Suzuki, yet?" Uzuki asked.

"No," Shizuka said. "Why? Isn't he here?"

"No, he hasn't come back here," Uzuki said. "He hasn't even called up. Shi, I'm really worried about him."

"Yeah, it's not like him to go off and not call us afterwards," Shizuka said. She then noticed Uzuki dialing her cell phone. "What are you doing?

"I'm calling someone," Uzuki stated, matter-of-factly.

"Are you crazy?!" Shizuka yelled, but not to loudly as to give away their location. "You'll compromise our secret!"

"This is important," Uzuki said. "We're going to need some big time help, and I know just the person to turn to." Uzuki then put the phone to her ear, waiting for the person to answer or for the voicemail to pop up. She got the latter. "Kisaragi, it's Uzuki. Listen, we've got a problem…"

Meanwhile, in parts unknown, two masked individuals dragged the unconscious Takashi Suzuki to a chair in the middle of a room. Koushiro was following behind them.

"So, what do we do now?" the first masked guy asked Koushiro.

"Strip him naked, then tie him to that chair over there," Koushiro said.

"Uh, why?" the second masked guy said.

"Don't ask why, just do it," Koushiro said. The two masked guys then went along to strip Suzuki of all of his clothes (including glasses and hair tie) before seating in a steel chair and tying him to it. "Don't forget to place his feet in the water." At that moment, another masked man was carrying a small tub which he placed in front of the chair and the two other masked men put Suzuki's feet into it. The third guy then poured the contents of a water canteen into the tub. As soon as he was finished, Koushiro approached the prisoner. "Oh, almost forgot." He then poured a mysterious liquid into a cup and forced the contents into Suzuki's mouth. He then made sure that the prisoner fully drank the liquid.

"What was that for?" the third masked man asked.

"To make our guest ready for the boss when he gets here tomorrow morning," Koushiro said. "Now, let's go." All four of them then left the room, leaving a fully nude Suzuki tied up to his chair, with no idea of what was going to await him.

* * *

Uh-oh, things are starting to get rough for the Cosplayers. Is Suzuki ever going to get out of this jam? What will become of Uzuki? 

Will Mutsuki ever forgive Takahiro for what happened all those years ago?

And what about Yayoi and Susumu? What else is going to happen?

What's in the treasure chest that Kisaragi discovered?

And what about Minazuki? What's going on with her right now?

And what about Chitose and his situation?

These questions, and many more, will be answered in the chapter following the next of "Chitose's Vacation."

Because the next chapter will be an interlude, featuring a tour of Hirokazu Gokajou's Yokohama 'house.'

BTW, I would like to thank JBK2K1 for lending me his "procedure for removing male private parts."

Okay, I should do some explaining. Kai and Toshi's looks are based on Digimon Frontier characters Koji Minamoto and Junpei "J.P." Shibayama, respectively.

Misaki Oshiro is going to be an important character in future stories (spoiler: She is going to become Chitose's girlfriend!).

Speaking of the character list, I have moved it to my profile on deviantART. The link is posted on my profile here if you're looking for them. I've added some more characters to the list as well.

See you next time. R & R, please.

Sorry, no bonuses this time.


	13. Chapter 13

Now, this is not really a chapter. It's actually a recap from the words of Chitose Hitotose himself. You'll see why in a minute.

Oh, one other thing. I do not own "Happy Lesson," its characters or concepts. They belong to Mutsumi Sasaki and KSS. Reader discretion is advised and certain celebrities have been impersonated. No celebrities were harmed in the creation of this story.

* * *

_Okay, you're probably wondering what's been going on with me recently. Well…_

_It all started on a Wednesday morning. Mama Mutsuki was still sick with the flu, so…okay, let me back up a bit. I live with five moms. You heard that right…five moms. And get this…they're also my teachers. You'd think having five moms living with me would be fun, right? WRONG!! But that's another story altogether. Anyways…_

_It all started on a Wednesday morning. Mama Mutsuki, a.k.a. my homeroom teacher Miss Ichimonji, was still sick with the flu, so Mama Yayoi, a.k.a. the school nurse Miss Sanzenin, stayed home to check on her. Anyways, my school day was full of the usual—Mama Satsuki, my gym teacher Miss Gokajou, putting me through the Gym Class from Hell, Mama Uzuki, my art teacher Miss Shitennou, doing her usually wacky thing, and finally, Mama Kisaragi, my chemistry teacher Miss Ninomai, put me through another bizarre experiment. Sometimes I wonder why I'm still alive every day, but you don't want to hear about the hell I go through every day._

_After school ended for the day, I'm told that the house we live in is full of termites, and will have to be fumigated for several days. Which means, that everyone is going to have to go somewhere else for the time being. Mama Uzuki suggested we go on a family vacation, but I put a stop to that. Last family vacation turned out to be an elaborate trap set by one Kanna Togakushi, who planned to kidnap me and do who knows what. But that's another story. Eventually, we decided to go our separate ways—Mama Mutsuki decided to visit her parents in Hokkaido. Her mom was a figure skater in the '72 Winter Olympics, and I heard that her dad was, and still is, a Japanese Classics high school teacher. Hmm, I wonder if he was the inspiration for Mama Mutsuki to go into teaching. Speaking of the other moms…_

_Kisagari decided to pay Kanna a visit, mainly to make sure she doesn't plan anything evil._

_Yayoi's traveling to the Nagano, where she's planning on going on a spiritual journey in the Akaishi Mountains…whatever that means._

_Uzuki's going to meet up with her Cosplay Group in Kyoto. That'll be fun._

_And Mama Satsuki's going to visit her family in Tokushima. That's on the island of Shikoku, in case you were wondering. Anyways…_

_I was originally going to stay with Minazuki and Hazuki, my adopted sisters, but Hazuki, being the woman that she is, wants to spend some "girl time" with Mina…whatever that means._

_So, that means that I have to stay with one of the moms. Kisaragi and Yayoi were out, because I wanted to stay as far away from Kanna as possible, and I think that Yayoi probably wants to go on the spiritual journey alone. I asked Mama Mutsuki if I could go with her, but she said no, after saying the her father doesn't like her daughter bringing strange men with her. I wonder how Mutsuki would have explained us. I also couldn't go with Uzuki, because apparently, her Cosplay Group is "top secret." So, guess who I ended up going with…_

_Satsuki Gokajou._

_On the plane ride there, she told me about her family: her father, Hiroto Gokajou, who's a former professional wrestler now training wrestlers in the basement of his house, and her five brothers._

_First, there's Hirokazu, or Kazu for short. He's the oldest, and is the only one to have married and had children. He has a three-year-old daughter, Momoe. He's a computer technician and has a HUGE video game and arcade collection at his "warehouse" in Yokohama. I'd love to see that._

_Then there's Daichi. He appears to be the jokester of the group. He's the second-oldest child, and he's traveled to numerous casinos all around the world. One piece of advice—you do not want to play dominoes with him. He is EXTREMELY competitive._

_Next is Kenichi, or Keni as everyone calls him. And that's K-E-N-I, not K-E-N-N-Y. He and Satsuki are twins, and he's the younger one. From what I've heard so far, he's a chain smoker, and he's also gone on what he calls the "007 World Tour." I'll betcha he's made a lot of people envious. He's made me envious, that's for sure._

_Next we have Makoto, or Mako for short. He's younger than Satsuki and Keni, and is the second youngest of the kids. He's a professional wrestler, and he often helps his dad train the new wrestlers in the "Torture Room" as Mako calls it._

_Finally, we have Tomoki, or Tommy as everyone calls him. He's the youngest, and he's about my age, give or take a year. I don't know what to say about this guy…other than he's an absolute, positive, one hundred percent perverted fellow. He used to wait until Satsuki was done with the shower, and then he'd tickle attack his toweled sister. Did I forget to mention that he's not a virgin?_

_Now, the visit to Satsuki's family has more or less been a pleasant visit…except for the fact that Mako threw Satsuki's weights on me when we were unpacking, and when everyone found out about our "secret," but nobody's really upset about it. They've decided to tell no one about it. Oh, yeah,_

_I don't know what's happened to everyone else since then, but when I called Mina, she said that Fumitsuki was staying over at my sisters' place. Could this vacation get any worse?_

* * *

Okay, got it? Good. Chapter 14 is up now. Please read that and review. Do not, I repeat, do NOT review this "chapter."


	14. Saturday Night's Alright

Disclaimer: I do not own "Happy Lesson," its characters or concepts. They belong to Mutsumi Sasaki and KSS. Reader discretion is advised and certain celebrities have been impersonated. No celebrities were harmed in the creation of this story.

I also don't own any "Super Sentai" theme songs. Why do I say this? You'll find out later.

We are now at Chapter 14 (yes, there is no Chapter 13. Superstition) of "Chitose's Vacation. In case anyone forgot…

The Hitotose mansion is currently being fumigated, which means that everyone has to stay someplace else for at least a week.

Chitose was invited by Satsuki to visit her family in Tokushima on the island of Shikoku. In case anyone forgot, the family members are…

_Hiroto Gokajou_, known as "Giant Gokajou" during his wrestling days, is Satsuki's father. He is a retired professional wrestler, and now trains wrestlers in the basement of his Tokushima mansion, known as the Torture Room. He is a widower, as his wife and Satsuki's mother, Sachiko Gokajou, passed away due to cancer.

_Hirokazu Gokajou_, or "Kazu" as everyone calls him, is the eldest of the Gokajou siblings. He is a computer technician who happens to have a large video game, arcade, and pinball collection in his Yokohama warehouse-turned-residence. He is a divorcé with a three-year-old daughter, Momoe.

_Daichi Gokajou_, or "Dai" for short, is the second-oldest child of Hiroto and Sachiko Gokajou. He is a self-proclaimed professional gambler, and is also a huge fan of television game shows, particularly the ones from the United States, Canada, England, and Australia, but not Japan. He is one _hell_ of a domino player, and is very good at all kinds of games, but not video games, as any of his brothers would tell you.

_Kenichi Gokajou_, or "Keni" as everyone calls him, is Satsuki's younger twin brother, and the fourth-born of the Gokajou children. Keni is a _huge_ James Bond fan—so big that he embarked on a "007 World Tour," where he visited the various locations that where the James Bond movies were filmed. He's also a car buff, collecting various classic cars, his absolute favorite is a 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 with a 428 Cobra Jet V8 engine, and according to family members, he drives the damned thing like he stole it. He has a smoking problem, which started shortly after his mom died, and has tried various ways to quit, unsuccessfully.

_Makoto Gokajou_, or "Mako" as everyone calls him, is a the second youngest of the Gokajous. Mako is a professional wrestler, going under the ring name of "Mako Tsunami." He is also a big fan of sports, mainly the boxing-wrestling hybrid known as Ultimate Boxing. Did I mention that he has a huge Ultimate Boxing video collection? He is as good as, or even surpasses, Satsuki in athletic ability.

_Tomoki Gokajou_, or "Tommy" as everyone calls him, is the youngest of the Gokajou children, and is about Chitose's age. He has been held back at school numerous times, and often sleeps with many of the female students at his high school. He lost his virginity at age 16. But that's not the best of it. When he was younger, he would wait until his sister, Satsuki, was out of the shower and would tickle attack her in her room. He also has naked pictures of his sister and some of her high school classmates.

Now, back to Chitose and Satsuki. Well, it seems as though Chitose is suffering even though he's on somewhat of a vacation. On the plane ride there, Satsuki fell asleep on Chitose and unconsciously put her hand inside of his pants! And now, Chitose just saw his PE teacher completely naked! What else is going to happen?

Uzuki is visiting her fellow Cosplay Group members in the old capital city of Kyoto. The cosplayers are…

_Takashi Suzuki_, mainly addressed by his surname, is the leader of the Cosplay Group. He has a very close relationship with Uzuki, and they consider themselves "siblings from different mothers." He was born in Hokkaido, and is adopted. Did I mention that he is a natural blonde (like Uzuki), and often dyes his hair in bizarre colors?

_Yumiko Nakamura_, perhaps the most normal of the Cosplayers, and the undisputed second-in-command. Born in Osaka, she is a distant cousin of Ultimate Boxer Sammy "Supernova" Nakamura. She doesn't really like Shizuka's "habits," but she does care about her.

_Shizuka Inoue_, born in Fukuoka, she is an open lesbian, and enjoys groping women. Her blonde hair is not natural, as her natural hair color is black (does that give you a hint on whom she might be related to?). Despite her antics, she's actually very nice…most of the time. Did I mention that she hates Hazuki Yazakura? (I mean, she _really_ hates her)

However, this trip is quickly going down the toilet, due to Uzuki spotting one of her stepfathers exiting a train they were about to board. And now, Suzuki is missing! What next?!

Yayoi is traveling to the Akaishi Mountains in the Nagano Prefecture for a spiritual journey. However, when she arrives there, she quickly attempts to seduce the spiritual guide, one Susumu Arisaka. Well, things go some bad to worse when Susumu, trying to get away from Yayoi, trips over a branch and twists his ankle. This forced them to head back to the cabin, where Yayoi tells Susumu about her being called 'Most Seductive' in high school, and Susumu explains how he never really wanted to join the priesthood in the first place, and that he really wanted to be a photographer…particularly photographing women in little or no clothing.

Kisaragi has basically been torturing her old friend Kanna Togakushi for the past few days. However, our chemistry teacher recently found a strange chest located in the depths of the Sea of Japan. She has decided to take the chest to her adopted parents, the science team of Hiroshi Ninomai and Yoshiko Ninomai, who are currently in Kyoto (don't ask why). To get to Kyoto, Kisaragi has enlisted the services of her old boyfriend, Kaito Yoshida, and his business partner, Satoshi "Toshi" Miyamoto.

Mutsuki has been visiting her parents who live in Sapporo, located on the island of Hokkaido. Her parents, incidentally, are Hikaru Ichimonji, a high school Japanese Classics teacher who inspired Mutsuki to become a teacher, and Satomi Ichimonji (née Watanabe), a former Olympic figure skater and high school PE teacher. However, she quickly encounters her ex-boyfriend, obstetrician-gynecologist Takahiro Kobayashi, with whom she had an unpleasant incident in high school, and she quickly suffers a nervous breakdown after meeting him again.

And as for the other girls…

Fumitsuki was suspended for physically attacking two of her students in front of the principal. As if that wasn't bad enough for her, her parents have won a trip to Atlantic City, and they decided to just go off, leaving their daughter locked out of the house with all her stuff (except her cell phone) in her back yard. Having just been given a ride by Hazuki and Mina, the class president decides to stay at their place.

Which has been a crazy stay so far for all three girls. Fumitsuki has to deal with Hazuki's house habits, such as her walking around the house in little or no clothing. Mina meets a somewhat crazy young lady by the name of Michiru "Mike" Akiyama, whom she quickly bonds with, and of course, there was the butt-pinching incident involving Fumitsuki and Minazuki.

What's going to happen now? Well, wait no longer, because the story is about to start again.

* * *

**_(Saturday, July 13, 2002)_**

In the undisclosed location somewhere in the Kyoto Prefecture, a mysterious figure is walking through the hallways before entering a room. This is the same room which contains Takashi Suzuki, who is still tied to the chair, completely nude. The figure then walked up to Suzuki, carrying a cattle prod. He was Suzuki slowly regaining consciousness.

"Glad to see that you're finally awake," he said to Suzuki.

"Wha…where the hell am I?" Suzuki moaned. He then noticed the position he was in. "What are you doing to me?"

"You must be Takashi Suzuki," the man said. "I've heard so much about you. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Nobuyuki Tagawa, head of Tagawa Industries. You're wondering about my relationship with Miss Uzuki Shitennou."

"You're her stepfather, aren't you?" Suzuki said. "You're the one that said if it wasn't for her mother, you'd kill her on the spot." Tagawa simply chuckled in response.

"Ah, yes, Kumiko," Tagawa said. "It's so tragic what happened to her…all those years ago."

"Can we just get to the point?" Suzuki asked impatiently. "Why am I here?"

"Why are you here?" Tagawa asked. "Well, I'll tell you why you're here." Tagawa then snapped his fingers, and one of the henchmen handed him something. "Do you know what this is?"

"It's a cattle prod," Suzuki said. "But why the hell are you telling me this?"

"I've read that it's a very effective form of torture…especially when used with water," Tagawa explained.

"That explains the bowls of water by my feet, but what do you intend to do with me?" Suzuki asked.

"Simple…you're going to tell me where Miss Shitennou is right now," Tagawa said.

"And if I don't…"

"If you don't…" Tagawa said as he turned on the cattle prod, "you're going to be in for a 'shocking' experience." He then stuck the cattle prod into the water, causing volts of electricity to surge through Suzuki's body. Suzuki screamed in intense pain before Tagawa turned off the prod after about a minute. "A primitive method of torture, but effective. Now, I'll ask you again. Tell me where Uzuki Shitennou is!"

"Why, so you can kill her?" Suzuki asked, barely conscious. Tagawa simply sighed in response.

"You are not going to make this easy, are you?" He then said before placing the cattle prod in the water again and turning it on. This time, he left it in for a full five minutes before turning it off. Suzuki, now slumped in the chair, refused to give in. "Tell me!" Suzuki was barely able to get his head up before spitting in his face.

"Kiss…my…ass," he said.

"I guess we'll have to go to more…sadistic methods," Tagawa said before snapping his fingers. Four masked henchmen then went to the chair to untie Suzuki. They then carried him to a metal table, where they tied his arms and legs to the posts.

"You're not going to castrate me with a laser beam, are you?" Suzuki mumbled, semi-conscious.

"No, I'm not going to do that," Tagawa said as one of the henchmen was holding the water tub that Suzuki's feet were in earlier. "My methods of torture are much more…fun." He then nodded to the henchman, who then dumped the now-boiling water onto the prone Suzuki. "You may want to cover your eyes," he then told the henchman. "This is going to be a little unpleasant." He then walked up to Suzuki, turned on the cattle prod again, and placed it onto Suzuki's stomach.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Tagawa left the prod on for about two minutes before letting go.

"WHERE IS SHE?!" Tagawa screamed. Suzuki managed to get his head up so that he would see Tagawa eye to eye.

"Go to Hell," Suzuki simply said. Tagawa replied by putting the prod back on Suzuki's body. This time, he placed it on his crotch, causing Suzuki to scream in half-pain, half-pleasure. He stopped after another minute.

"You seem to be enjoying this," Tagawa said, obviously annoyed.

"I'd rather die then tell you where Uzuki is," Suzuki said. Sighing in disgust, Tagawa snapped his fingers again.

"Yes, boss?" Koushiro said.

"Send another search party," Tagawa told him. "And don't return until you find her. Remember—I want her alive!"

"Yes, sir," Koushiro said. He was about to head off when Tagawa stopped him.

"One other thing…what exactly happened to Osamu?" he asked him.

"According to an eyewitness, some crazy Osakan ripped off his…private parts," Koushiro said. "Right now, he's at the hospital recovering, but I don't he's going to fully recover from the trauma that he suffered last night."

"I thought that procedure was illegal in Japan…" Tagawa said. "Anyways, you are dismissed." Koushiro then headed off with two henchmen following him. Tagawa was about to head off before giving his orders to the two remaining henchmen. "Do whatever you want with him, but make sure he stays alive. If he hasn't cracked by the end of the day…then you can kill him." He then left the room, leaving the still-nude Suzuki about to be tortured by the two remaining henchmen.

* * *

Alright, let's get back to Chitose now…

The rest of the night was pretty stressful for Chitose, having seen one of this teacher-moms naked. Despite the fact that Satsuki forgave him for barging in unannounced, it still bothered him. He didn't really get much sleep through the night, and often spent up to an hour awake before falling asleep again.

The next morning, Chitose was walking to the bathroom to freshen himself up, when someone walked out of the bathroom.

"Morning, Chitose," he said.

"Morning," Chitose said sleepily. He then passed him, then did a double-take before facing the guy again. "K…Kenichi?"

"Yeah?" The younger twin of Satsuki turned around, facing Chitose.

"D…did you shave off your goatee this morning?" Chitose asked, getting a good look at Keni's face.

"Yep," Keni said. "I wanted to go for the clean-shaven look today."

"I see," Chitose said. "Say, what time is it?" Keni then

"It's 7:00," Keni said. "Everyone else should be up by now. We're all early risers, you know…except for Tommy. He likes to sleep in, you know."

"Really?" Chitose asked. "When I woke up this morning, Satsuki was gone, just like yesterday."

"Well, she likes to jog early in the morning before she has breakfast," Keni said. "If you want, I can make you something in the kitchen."

"Thanks," Chitose said. "Is it okay if I freshen myself up first?"

"Take all the time you need, Chitose," Keni said. "But don't take too long. Tommy likes to be in the shower for over 45 minutes."

"Thanks for telling me," Chitose said. Keni then went back down the hallway leaving Chitose to head into the bathroom.

About ten minutes later, Chitose came out of the bathroom, wearing a towel around his waist. He was on his way back to Satsuki's room when he heard something coming from Tommy's room.

"Oh, Tomoki!" Chitose was confused because he thought he heard a female voice coming from Tommy's room.

"Nah!" He simply shrugged it off and went into the bedroom to change. Five minutes later, he came out wearing a red t-shirt and khaki shorts, and headed into the kitchen, where he found Kenichi taking a toaster pastry from out of the cupboard.

"Oh, hey, Chitose," Keni said.

"Wha…what are you having for breakfast, Keni?" Chitose asked him.

"Oh, it's a Toaster Strudel, Chi," Keni explained. "This one has cherry filling inside it. You want one?"

"No thanks," Chi said. "Hey, could you make me some scrambled eggs, please?"

"Sorry, Chi. I have to admit I'm not much of a cook," Keni said. "You can fix yourself something if you want."

"Swell," Chitose said to no one in particular. He ended up making himself a bowl of cereal. Soon, Keni and Chitose went into the living room, where they found Kazu, Daichi, and Mako sitting on the couch.

"Morning, bros," Keni greeted them.

"Morning," Daichi said.

"Morning, Chitose," Kazu said.

"Morning, Kaz," Chitose said. "Hey, what exactly are you guys watching?"

"Nothing really," Kazu said. "We were about to switch to another channel."

"Oh," Chitose said. "Say, what kind of satellite system does this house have?" Kazu and Daichi simply looked at each other before looking at Chitose.

"You really want to know?" Daichi said. Chitose nodded. "Kaz, you tell him."

"Okay," Kazu said, before standing up and walking over to the TV. "This is custom-made satellite system here. With the baby, Chitose, we can watch pretty much any channel we want from the entire free world."

"Any channel?" Chitose wondered.

"Yep," Kazu said. "We have channels from the U.S., channels from Canada, channels from Mexico, Panama, Haiti, Jamaica, Peru…okay, I should stop. No, I won't."

"Yes, you should," Keni said. "Basically, we get TV from all over the world…even Western Sahara." The other brothers simply gave him confused looks. "What?"

"Forget it," Daichi said as he started channel surfing.

"Hey, Mako…" Chitose said.

"Yeah, Chi?"

"Where'd you get that jersey?" he asked him.

"Oh, this?" Mako said, pointing to the black 1980s-era Boston Bruins jersey he was wearing. "It was a gift from a guy I originally met in Atlantic City at WrestleMania IV. He's a big Boston Bruins fan. Hell, he's a big Boston sports fan in general."

"I see," Chitose said. "I know a little bit about hockey, and unless I'm mistaken, that is Raymond Bourque's jersey you're wearing."

"Well, yes and no," Mako said. "It has Ray Bourque's number, and it has the 'C' on the chest here, but look at the back." He then stood up, turned around, and instead of BOURQUE above the #77, it read GOKAJOU.

"Oh!" Chitose exclaimed. Mako then sat back on the couch.

"I wanted to wear that number when I played football in high school, but I couldn't," Mako explained. "I also couldn't wear #7 because someone else had it, so I took #5, because I was the fifth child."

"Interesting," Chitose said. At that moment, Keni sat down between Daichi and Mako.

"So, what are we watching?" Keni asked Daichi, who still had the remote.

"We haven't decided yet," Daichi said as he was handing the remote to Mako. "Here, you pick." Just then, Satsuki entered the room, wearing her track suit and holding her tennis shoes and socks.

"Morning, fellas," Satsuki greeted them.

"Morning, sis," Keni said.

"Morning, Saki," Mako said.

"Morning," Daichi said.

"Good morning, Satsuki," Chitose said.

"So, what are you guys watching?" Satsuki asked. Mako then stopped channel surfing.

"Ah, found it," Mako said. "It's a 'Billy the Bird' Marathon from an Australian television station."

"Oh, I love 'Billy the Bird!" Satsuki said excitedly. "I've just got to go shower, and I'll be right back." She then went on her way to the bathroom.

"Tommy's in there," Kazu said.

"What makes you so sure?" Chitose asked him.

"Because the first thing Tommy does when he wakes up is spend nearly an hour in the damn shower to work on his goddamn hair," Kazu said.

"Really?" Chitose asked.

"Yep."

Meanwhile, outside of the bathroom…

"Get out of there, Tommy! I need to get in there!" Satsuki screamed as she was banging on the door.

"I need to work on my hair, sis!" Tommy said from the other side. "Hang on a sec!"

"If you don't come out right now, I'm coming in there!" Satsuki said.

"The door is locked, Satsuki," Tommy said. "And besides, I'm naked!"

"You've got until the count of five to open that door," Satsuki threatened. "One. Two…"

Back in the living room.

"And he uses this special shampoo from Vidal Sassoon," Kazu, now sitting in one of the chairs, explained to Chitose.

"Oh…" Chitose said in awe.

"You know, I met Vidal Sassoon once," Daichi said. Mako looked at him in disbelief.

"You…met Vidal Sassoon?" Mako asked.

"Yeah, I met him at the Crown Casino in Melbourne," Daichi said with an Australian accent. "I'm going back to Australia next month."

"You're…going back to Australia?" Mako said. "Can I come with you?"

"I don't know, Mako," Dai said, continuing to speak with an Australian accent. "I mean, don't you have to talk to Papa-san about it first?"

"I'll talk to him while we're driving today," Mako said. "Which reminds me, I'll meet you guys at the Fun Center."

"Wait a sec, you mean you're going ahead of us?" Keni asked.

"Yep," Mako said as he stood up. "Dad wants to meet up with Tanaka as early as possible, so we're going to be leaving in a few minutes. Tell Saki I'll meet her when you guys arrive."

"Will do, Mako," Keni said.

"We'll see you there, man," Daichi said.

"See you later, Mako," Chitose said.

"See you, Mak," Kazu said.

"Bye, guys," Mako said just before he left the living room. At that moment, Chitose sat down on the couch next to Keni.

"Hey, Daichi," Chitose said.

"Yeah?"

"I thought you had short hair." Chitose said.

"Oh, this," Daichi said. "Well, I've been growing it out." (Dai's hairstyle makes him look like James/Kojiro of the "Pokemon" anime) "You probably didn't notice because I had my hair pulled back into a small ponytail."

"I wasn't really paying attention," Chitose said. "So, what's this 'Billy the Bird' about?"

"Well, it was an anime made in America back in the mid-1980s by Patrick Eliot," Kazu explained.

"Who's Patrick Eliot?" Chitose asked.

"One of the finest animation producers in the world," Keni explained. "Kazu and I met him one time. He's got an animation studio in Yoko."

"Yoko?" Chitose was confused.

"Yokohama," Kazu explained.

"Oh."

The remaining Gokajou bros (Kazu, Daichi, and Keni) then explained all about "Billy the Bird" and Patrick Eliot to Chitose.

"And that's why he's one of the most influential animators today," Daichi finished.

"Wow," Chitose said. "I think I've learned more about you guys in two days then I have in all my years of school."

"You don't really mean that, do you?" Kazu asked him.

"Guys…that was a joke," Chitose said.

"Oh, was that really a joke?" Daichi said. "Because if it was, it bombed…big time."

"Yeah, I guess that was very bad," Chitose admitted.

"You guess?" Keni said.

"Never mind," Chitose said. "Say, where exactly did you get this satellite system from anyways."

"Custom-made," Kazu said. "The first one of these we had installed by the man who made this. I forget what his name was. Ninama? Niyama?"

"Ninomai?" Chitose asked.

"That's it," Kazu said.

"Hey, wait a minute…" Chitose said. "You don't suppose that…"

"I highly doubt it, Chitose," Kazu said. "We got our first satellite system back in the early 1980s. I don't think that Kisaragi was old enough to invent a sophisticated satellite system."

"You'd be surprised at that," Chitose said. "From what I've heard, she was inventing dangerous things as soon as she was able to walk."

"Oh…" Daichi and Keni said. At that moment, Tommy came into the room, with his hair down, and wearing a black T-shirt reading "Owen 3:16" on the front and "I just broke your neck" written on the back. He was also wearing dark blue jeans and was barefoot.

"Well, look who finally decided to join us," Kazu said sarcastically.

"What?" Tommy asked. "What did I do?"

"I don't know," Keni said. "Piss Satsuki off…again."

"If you're wondering about that, I had to shorten my shower because she threatened to break down the door immediately after I told her that I was in an indecent state," Tommy explained. "Then, I had to throw on a towel, rush over to the kitchen, rinse my hair out because I didn't get a chance to, then go to my bedroom and throw some clothes on." He then noticed what was on the TV. "You guys are watching about Billy the Bird and you didn't even tell me?"

"You didn't ask," Daichi said. "Besides, you were too busy working on your damn hair."

"Like you don't work on your hair yourself, Daichimama," Tommy said as he sat down in one of the chairs.

"Hey, that was ten years ago, man," Dai said. "Besides, I don't grow my hair as long as I used to."

"Right…" Tommy said, now focused on the TV.

(9:30 A.M.)

All the boys were watching the TV when Satsuki came in. She was wearing a blue Tokushima Vortis (football team) jersey with khaki shorts, and was barefoot.

"Hey, guys," Satsuki said.

"What took you so long, sis?" Keni asked her.

"Well, _somebody_ used all the hot water in the shower," Satsuki said, glaring at Tommy, "so, I ended up having to use the showers in the pool house."

"Uh-huh," Daichi said as he was tying his hair back. "Say, Tomoki, just how long were you in the shower this morning?"

"Only fifteen minutes," Tommy said. "Then again, Kazu was in there first, followed by you, Keni, and then Chitose."

"Just forget I said anything, man," Daichi said. Satsuki then sat on the couch, next to Chitose.

"So, are you enjoying yourself, Chitose?" she asked her 'son.'

"Uh, sure, Satsuki…" Chitose said uneasily, trying not to look at her. At that moment, someone's cell phone rang.

"Mine," Kazu said. He then answered his phone. "Talk to me." The remaining Gokajou brother, Mako, was calling from the other end. "Hey, Mako! You're there already? Brilliant. Yeah, we'll be leaving within the next half hour or so. Okay. We'll see you then. _Adieu_." He then hung up the phone.

"Mako's there already?" Chitose asked him.

"Yep," Kazu said. "It takes about 90 minutes or so to get from here to Takamatsu, so I think we'd better be on our way."

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Satsuki said, grabbing the remote and turning off the TV.

"HEY!" Tommy said.

"Hold on a sec," Keni said. "Who's driving?"

"We'll let Ike decide," Daichi said as he took a coin out of his pocket.

"What is that, Dai?" Chi asked him.

"This…is a Bicentennial edition of the Eisenhower Silver Dollar," Daichi explained. "It has former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower on the front, with the dates of the American Bicentennial below it, and on the back, is the Liberty Bell in front of the moon. Call it, Kaz."

"Heads," Kazu said. Daichi flipped the coin, then caught it, put it on his left hand then uncovered it. It showed Ike Eisenhower on it.

"Damn," Daichi said to himself. "Okay, best two-out-of-three." Daichi was about to flip again, but Kazu stopped him.

"You're driving," Kazu said.

"I'm driving. I'm driving?" Daichi said with a bewildered look on his face.

(Fifteen minutes later)

Keni and Kazu were loading bags into the back of the van.

"Do you really need all those bags?" Chitose asked. "I mean, we're just going to Takamatsu."

"Yes, Chitose," Kazu said, just before he shut the liftgate. "You'd be surprised how much crap we carry just for short trips."

"Uh-huh," Chitose said. At that moment, Daichi tapped him on the shoulder. "Can I help you?"

"You want to ride shotgun, Chitose?" Daichi asked him.

"What?"

"I was asking if you wanted to ride in the front seat," Daichi told him.

"Well…"

"Wait a minute," Satsuki said. "Are you sure it's okay for Chitose to be riding in the front seat?"

"I'm sure it's safe, Saki," Kazu said. "Besides, he rode up front with me when we went to pick up the pizza last night."

"I see," Satsuki said. "Well, why can't you put Tommy in the front seat?"

"Are you kidding me?" Keni asked. "Last time I drove Tommy home from school, he stuck his head out the window and nearly got himself decapitated."

"Hey, I was just trying to score some chicks," Tommy said.

"Well, you nearly killed yourself," Keni said.

"I was trying to get some air, too, since you were smoking in the damn car," Tommy retaliated. At that moment, Kazu whistled through his fingers.

"All right! All right! That's enough," Kazu said. "Chitose, you're in the front. Tommy, you're with me in the back. Saki, you and Keni in the middle."

"WHAT?!" Satsuki and Tommy exclaimed.

"I don't want to sit next to you!" Tommy complained.

"And I don't want to sit next to Keni!" Satsuki said.

"Too bad. That's how we're doing it," Kazu said.

"Besides, I'm chewing the gum," Keni said.

"Well, that's still disgusting," Satsuki said. Within five minutes, everyone was in the Toyota Estima van—Daichi in the driver's seat, Chitose at shotgun, Keni and Satsuki sitting in the middle, with Keni sitting behind Daichi, and Satsuki sitting behind Chitose, and Tommy and Kazu in the back, with Kazu sitting behind Keni and Tommy sitting behind Satsuki. (I hope everyone got that.)

Just after Daichi stared the car, he put a CD in the CD player. Chitose noticed this.

"Uh, Dai…"

"Yeah, Chi?"

"What'd you put in the CD player?"

"Oh, that?" Daichi said. "Well, it's from the 'Super Sentai' Theme Songs Collection."

"WHAT?!" Satsuki asked.

"No! We are _not_ listening to Super Sentai themes all the way to Takamatsu," Kazu said, matter-of-factly.

"Well, I'm driving the van, so we're listening to this," Daichi said. "You see, Chi, this was supposed to be a Christmas gift for Tommy, but dad wouldn't let me give it to him, so I ended up keeping it."

"Say, what Sentai themes are on there again, Dai?" Keni asked.

"Everything from Goranger to Gaoranger," Daichi replied. "And we're listening to them in chronological order."

"Damn," Keni said. "I wanted to listen to Dynaman first."

"Well, we'll have to go through six songs before we hit Dynaman, so tough luck," Daichi said. Tommy was about to speak, but Dai stopped him. "Don't even _think_ about it, Tommy."

"Crap," Tommy said to himself. Daichi then shifted the car into 'Drive,' and the car went off.

* * *

At a motel room located somewhere in the Fukui Prefecture, Kisaragi was resting comfortably against the bare chest of her boyfriend, Kaito Yoshida, or Kai for short. While resting, she thought back to what happened the previous night.

(flashback)

Kai was sitting at the end of one of the beds, trying to find something to watch on TV. He and Kisaragi were staying in one room, while Toshi and Kanna (to the latter's great reluctance) were staying in another room. At that moment, Kisaragi came out of the bathroom, wearing only a white towel around her body.

"Tell me again why we're staying at this motel," Kisaragi said.

"Well, it was the only place with two rooms with two beds that I could find that was available, Kisa-chan," Kai replied, not looking at her. He had his hair down, and his bandana and blue jean jacket were on the floor. He was also barefoot.

"Right," Kisaragi said. "And besides…" she then walked over to the bed and whispered into his ear, "we have a lot of catching up to do." Kai immediately snapped out of what he was doing and turned towards Kisaragi, who had just removed her towel and crawled into the bed next to the one he was currently sitting on. She then patted the pillow next to her. "Well?" At that moment, Kai immediately turned off the TV before standing up. He then removed his shirt and placed it on the floor, before unzipping his pants and removing his trousers and boxer briefs. After shaking the pants and undergarments from his legs, Kai then crawled into the bed right next to Kisagari.

"One question," Kai said. "Do you happen to have…?" Kisaragi then produced a latex condom from seemingly out of nowhere. "Thought so."

(end flashback)

Kisaragi was now out of bed, yawning and stretching. She was still nude, obviously from the events of the previous night. Before she could head into the bathroom to refresh herself, she felt a hand on her right shoulder and a voice whispering in her ear.

"Did I ever tell you that you are incredibly sexy?" She turned around to find Kai, who was also still nude, looking her right in the eye. "Good morning, Ki-chan."

"Morning," Kisaragi said, blushing a little.

"What's wrong, Kisa-chan?" Kai asked her.

"Nothing really," Kisaragi said. "I really enjoyed last night."

"I thought you would," Kai said, smirking a little. He then pulled into a tight embrace before whispering in her ear. "I missed you so much, Kisa-chan."

"So did I," Kisaragi admitted, crying a little.

"Don't cry, Kisa-chan," Kai said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "We're together now. So…where were you off to this morning?"

"Well," Kisaragi said, "I was on my way to the shower."

"Mind a little company?" Kai asked.

"Not at all," Kisaragi said, smirking a little.

In the adjacent room, Kanna was hiding under the covers.

"Why did all this have to happen to me?" Kanna asked herself, whining. "Why couldn't Kisaragi have just left me alone? Why do I have to suffer so much?" At that moment, she heard the door open, making her panic more.

"I brought some breakfast," she heard a male voice.

"I've got to get out of here!" Kanna screamed out loud, leaping out of bed and rushing towards the door…only to be grabbed by someone and running in mid-air.

"Hey, where are you off to in such a hurry?" It was Toshi. He was wearing a t-shirt that read 'SVS SUX' in English on the front. Kanna was still panicking, and still running in mid-air.

"Gotta get out of here! Out of here!" she kept screaming. Next thing she knew, she was being thrown over and onto the bed. She started whining some more. "That hurt!"

"Really? Because that wasn't supposed to hurt," Toshi said, rubbing his hands. He then grabbed three of the bags on the table that he had set down just seconds before and left the remaining one for Kanna. "There's your breakfast, by the way. I'll be right back. Don't wander off."

"I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die!" she kept saying to herself.

Outside of the nearby hotel room, Toshi kept knocking on the door.

"Kaito, Kisaragi, I know you two are in there," he said. He then knocked on the door again for about ten seconds before snapping his fingers and realizing something. "Oh, yeah!" He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a key.

In the shower, Kisaragi and Kai were enjoying themselves. Let's put it at that.

"So…tell me more about this Chitose Hitotose," Kai said as he was massaging Kisaragi's shoulders.

"Well…he's my son…" Kisaragi started to explain.

"Your…son?"

"It's a long story," Kisaragi said, blushing a little.

"I have time," Kai said.

"Well, it started last year, when…" Kisaragi said before they both heard the door open. Both of them gasped in response. "What was that?"

"Toshi," Kai simply replied. "I probably shouldn't have given him that spare key." He then opened the glass door to the shower and stepped out. "I'll be right back, Kisa-chan." He then grabbed a towel and shut the door. In the main room, Toshi was setting the two bags of breakfast on the table when Kai came out, with a towel around his waist, and drying his hair with another towel.

"Morning, Kai," Toshi said nonchalantly.

"Morning, bro," Kai said. He then noticed the bags on the table. "Are those for us?"

"Yep," Toshi said. "I know it's not exactly 'nutritional,' but who has time to worry about nutrition when you're on the road a lot?"

"Yeah," Kai agreed.

"Hey, we're going to heading out in a bit, so try to speed up a little, kay?" Toshi said.

"Okay," Kai said. As Toshi was heading for the door to leave, Kai suddenly said, "You're driving, by the way." This caused Toshi to stop in his tracks.

"I…I'm driving?" Toshi said as his head turned ninety degrees to his left.

"You're the one that said we were leaving soon," Kai said. "Besides, how often do I let you drive?"

"Almost never," Toshi said.

"Exactly," Kai said. "Now, get out of here. I need to get dressed."

"Sure thing…_boss_," Toshi said, with a bit of sarcasm on the last word, before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him. Kai simply chuckled before reaching into the bag to eat his breakfast, which turned out to be a croissant sandwich with egg and cheese, hash browns on the side, and a large, black coffee. About ten minutes later, he had finished his breakfast, he had gotten fully dressed, and was now pulling his hair into a ponytail when Kisaragi came out of the bathroom, wearing only a towel around her body.

"You said you'd be right back," Kisaragi said, in mock sadness.

"I was hungry, so sue me," Kai said. "So, this Chitose Hitotose…"

"I'll tell you about him later," Kisaragi said as she walked over to the dresser. "I need to make a phone call right now."

"Would you like me to leave the room, or do you want me to stay?" Kai asked her.

"You can stay," Kisaragi said, smirking a little, "just no funny business."

"Aw, man!"

* * *

Back at the hideout, Uzuki was on her cell phone.

"So, when will you be here?" Uzuki asked Kisaragi. "I see. Well, I'll see you when you get here. Bye." She then hung up the phone.

"Who were you talking to?" Shizuka asked. She and Yumiko were playing Crazy Eights at a nearby table.

"Kisaragi," Uzuki said. "As soon as she's done meeting her parents, she's going to come here with some of her friends."

"Wait a second, they're coming _here_?" Yumiko asked.

"Yes," Uzuki said ashamedly.

"Don't worry about it, Shitennou," Yumiko said.

"But, Yumi…"

"This is an emergency, Inoue," Yumiko explained. "We may be dealing with someone extremely dangerous, and we don't even know if Suzuki is still alive.

"Don't say that!" Uzuki said, almost breaking down into tears. "Don't say that!"

"I'm sorry, Uzuki," Yumiko said. "I should have known better."

"_Arigato_," Uzuki said.

"Hold on," Shizuka said, "who else did you call last night?"

"Mizuki and Natsuko," Uzuki explained.

"WHAT?!" Shizuka exclaimed. "YOU CALLED THAT PSYCHOTIC BITCH THAT ONCE TRIED TO KILL ME?!"

"Shizuka, calm down," Yumiko said. "Uzuki, I may have to agree with her. You know how they both feel about Shizuka…especially Natsuko."

"I couldn't think of anyone else, Yumi," Uzuki said. "Besides, I've known them since middle school."

"I see your point," Yumiko said. "I mean, they are members of the Cosplay family."

"Yeah," Uzuki agreed.

"I still don't like it," Shizuka said. "We'd have been better off calling my sister."

"I thought your family disowned you, Shizuka," Uzuki said.

"My parents did, but Chihiro-chan still cares about me," Shizuka said.

"Chihiro-chan?" Uzuki was confused.

"Shizuka's younger sister," Yumiko whispered in her ear.

"Oh…" At that moment, Uzuki phone rang again, which she answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, girlfriend, what's up?" Uzuki was surprised to hear from Mizuki Takahashi, her former classmate and former Cosplay Group member.

"Mizuki! Where are you right now?" Uzuki asked.

"We're right here in town," Mizuki said, calling from a phone box.

"Wonderful!" Uzuki said, crying a little. "Is Natsuko with you?"

"I hope not," Shizuka said. Yumiko then elbowed her in the stomach. "Ooh!"

"Yeah, she's with me," Mizuki said. At that moment, Natsuko tapped on the window of the phone box. "Hang on a sec." She then set the phone on the counter and opened the door. "What do you want?"

"I want to talk to Shitennou," Natsuko said.

"Fine," Mizuki said. She then picked up the phone. "Natsuko wants to talk to you, Uu-chan."

"Okay, put her on," Uzuki said from the other side. On the other side, Mizuki gave the phone to Natsuko.

"Don't take too long, I want to talk to her again," Mizuki said.

"Yeah, yeah," Natsuko said as she took the phone. "Hello, Uzuki."

"Hey, Natsuko," Uzuki said. "So, you guys just arrived in town today?"

"Yep," Natsuko said.

"By the way, Shizuka says 'hi,'" Uzuki said.

"I did not!" Shizuka yelled. Yumiko then elbowed her in the stomach again. "Ooh!"

"Yeah, right," Natsuko said. "So, how's Osaka?"

"Osaka?" Uzuki was a bit confused.

"Hang on a second," Yumiko said as she walked over to Uzuki and took the phone from her. "I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU NEVER TO CALL ME THAT AGAIN!!" She then handed the phone back to Uzuki. "Sorry about that, Uzuki."

"It's okay," Uzuki said. She then spoke into the phone again. "Are you okay, Natsuko?"

"It's me, Uzuki," Mizuki said. "Natsuko's a little…incapacitated at the moment."

"I see. So, are you two coming here right away, Mizuki?"

"Actually, we have one quick stop along the way, and then we'll come to the hideout."

"ONE QUICK STOP?!" Uzuki yelled. "DO YOU REALIZE THAT SUZUKI'S LIFE IS IN DANGER?!"

"I'm aware of that," Mizuki said. "But this will only take a bit. We'll meet you guys at the hideout as soon as possible."

"Well, all right," Uzuki said, accepting it. "We'll see you later, then."

"See ya, Uzuki," Mizuki said before hanging up the phone. She then noticed the semi-conscious Natsuko outside of the phone box. She walked out of the box and slapped her. "Come on, _baka_! We've got to get going!"

Back at the hideout…

"So that's basically what they said," Uzuki told Yumiko and Shizuka.

"They're just going off somewhere while Suzuki's having who knows what done to him?!" Shizuka exclaimed.

"I agree," Yumiko said. "Besides, we all need to be together before we attempt to find Suzuki."

"Yeah…" Uzuki said nonchalantly.

"You okay, Shitennou?" Shizuka asked.

"I'm fine, Shizuka," Uzuki said. "Really, I am."

"Really?" Shizuka said, with a flirtatious look in her eyes. "Because I know what'll cheer you up in an instant!"

"Oh, no…" Yumiko said to herself.

"Squeezy-Squeezy!" Shizuka said as she ran towards Uzuki.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Uzuki screamed as she started to run from Shizuka.

"I'm gonna get ya, Uzuki!" Shizuka said, still in 'squeezy' mode. While Shizuka was chasing Uzuki, Yumiko was pondering something.

"Where could those girls be going?" she asked no one in particular.

* * *

Back in the Akaishi cabin, Susumu woke up to an auspicious aroma.

"Man…what a nightmare," he told himself. At that moment, Yayoi entered the room, wearing an apron, carrying a tray with breakfast on it.

"Good morning," Yayoi said. Susumu then noticed that Yayoi didn't have a shirt on, which looked a bit suspicious.

"Okay…this has got to be a dream," Susumu said as Yayoi put the tray on his lap.

"Oh, hang on a sec," Yayoi said, just before standing up. She then turned around and headed for the door. Susumu then saw that indeed, Yayoi was wearing _only_ the apron.

"Okay…I have to be dreaming," Susumu said. He then noticed that Yayoi wasn't leaving the room. Instead she shut the door to the bedroom before loosening the apron. Susumu then gasped at this…

…and woke up to an auspicious aroma.

"Man…that was just too weird," Susumu told himself. "What a really bad dream." Just then, Yayoi entered the room, dressed in a her miko uniform, carrying a tray with breakfast on it.

"Good morning," Yayoi said.

"Okay…I'm definitely dreaming," Susumu said. He tried to stand up out of the bed, but he quickly collapsed after standing on his right foot, which was still sore.

"Looks like that ankle's still bothering you, Susumu," Yayoi said as she set the tray down atop the dresser drawers.

"Man! Why can't I wake up?!" Susumu asked himself. Yayoi then walked up to him and pinched his arm. "OW!"

"You're awake, Susumu," Yayoi said. "Here, let me help you up."

"You know, you didn't have to pinch me!" Susumu yelled. This caused Yayoi to back up a bit, with fear on face. Susumu then sighed. "I'm sorry, Yayoi. I'm just…I didn't get a good night's sleep last night. You can obviously understand."

"Yeah," Yayoi said. She then approached him and lifted him off of the floor and placed him on the bed.

"Wow, you do work out!" Susumu said as he tried to make himself comfortable on the bed.

"Oh, by the way, I was looking through the closet in my bedroom this morning, and I found a pair of crutches for you," Yayoi said. "I'll go get them right now."

"Nah, I don't need them right now," Susumu said. "Let's just have breakfast first."

"Okay," Yayoi said. She then took the tray off of the dresser and put it on Susumu's lap. "Mind if I eat with you?"

"Not at all," Susumu said.

"_Itadakimasu_," they both said before eating.

After breakfast was finished.

"That was the finest meal I have ever eaten in…you know what, I can't even remember the last time I ever ate such a good meal," Susumu said.

"Oh?"

"My mom passed away when I was only six, and my dad wasn't the best cook around," Susumu explained. "Plus the fact that we got on each other's nerves all the time…man, I was glad to get out of the house."

"You and your father never got along with each other?" Yayoi asked.

"Nah," Susumu said. "Plus the fact that he never remarried…and had no real respect for women in general…I just basically packed my things and left on my 20th birthday. And I've been living in dumps all around the region since then. What about you? You have any problems with your parents?"

"No," Yayoi said. "Actually, I take that back. My father and I…we have a very strained relationship."

"Because of your seductiveness?" Susumu asked.

"That…and because I wanted to go into nursing school," Yayoi said.

"Nursing school," Susumu said. "Your file did say that you're the physician at Koyomi High School, and that you were once a nurse at a hospital in Kofu (Yamanashi). I'm curious…what made you decide to switch from a well-paying job at a hospital in Kofu to a not-so-well-paying job at a high school in Tokyo?"

"I, uh…can't really tell you that," Yayoi said.

"And why not?" Susumu asked. "I just told you about my past, Yayoi. The least you could do is tell me a bit about yours."

"Well…"

"I promise I won't tell anyone," Susumu said.

"Well…the truth is…" Yayoi started to have tears coming down her face. "I can't!" She then ran out of the room, crying.

_Maybe I went too far_, Susumu thought to himself.

* * *

At the condo, Fumitsuki was still sleeping on the couch, albeit uncomfortably. In the meantime, Mina was taking a shower in the bathroom. She was still thinking about all that had happened within the previous 24 hours. After a minute or so, she shut off the water then stepped out of the shower. As she was drying herself with the towel, the bathroom door suddenly came flying open. Mina immediately gasped at this, seeing her sister, Hazuki, holding the door open.

"Whoops," Hazuki said.

"I, uh…guess I forgot to lock the door," Mina said, blushing, and holding the towel in front of her.

"I see," Hazuki said, glancing over at the sleeping Fumitsuki for just a second before facing her sister again. "Have you finished?"

"Well, I haven't brushed my teeth yet," Mina said, wrapping the towel around her body. "Could you give me a few more minutes, please?"

"Sure thing," Hazuki said. She was about to shut the door before peeking through it. "Oh, one other thing, sis. Fumitsuki's waking up. If I were you, I'd brush your teeth as quickly as possible."

"Okay," Mina said. As soon as Hazuki shut the door behind her, Mina quickly locked it before searching the medicine cabinet for her toothbrush. "Now, where did I leave it?"

In the living room, Fumitsuki was stretching and yawning, and when she finished, she cracked her back. At that moment, Hazuki came in, wearing a bathrobe, which was tied, by the way.

"Have a good night's sleep, Mitsuki?" Hazuki asked.

"No," Fumitsuki said, putting on her glasses. "I spent half the night tossing and turning…plus I fell off the couch once."

"Well, sorry about that," Hazuki said. "But with what happened between you and Mina yesterday, I didn't want to take any chances."

"That's okay," Fumitsuki said, smiling. She then got a pensive look on her face. "You know what, I really need to pee." She then stood up and headed for the bathroom.

"Uh, Mitsuki…"

"Yeah, Hazuki?"

"Mina's in there," Hazuki said.

"Oh," Fumituki said with a cringed look on her face. "Well, I really need to get in there!" She then ran over to the bathroom door and tried to open it, but found it locked.

"Uh, Mitsuki…"

"Mina, I need to get in here!" Fumitsuki yelled while knocking on the door. Inside the bathroom, Mina was brushing her teeth when she heard the knock. She couldn't really speak since she had the toothpaste in her mouth. She then spat out the toothpaste out of her mouth.

"Uh…hang on a second, Fumitsuki," Mina said as she was wiping her mouth with a piece of toilet paper.

"Mina, I'm serious! Open this door!" Fumitsuki screamed. She was pulling on the doorknob and turning it wildly, when suddenly…

(SNAP!)

…the doorknob came off.

"Oops," Fumitsuki said. Even worse was that Hazuki just saw what happened.

"What the hell?!" Hazuki yelled. Fumitsuki chuckled nervously at what just happened.

"Uh…sorry, Hazuki," Fumitsuki said.

"Hazuki?" Mina said through the door.

"Yeah, Mina?"

"The lock's stuck! I can't get out!"

"Wonderful," Hazuki said. "Mitsuki, you're going to have to use someone else's bathroom right now."

"But, Hazuki…"

"Just go, Mitsuki!" Hazuki yelled. Somewhat scared, Fumitsuki simply ran out of the apartment and began knocking on doors. Back in the condo, Hazuki was dialing a phone number.

"Hazuki?!" Mina yelled through the door.

"Hang on, Mina. I'm going to get you out of there," Hazuki said as she finished dialing. After few rings, the other person answered. "Hey, Shinichi, it's Hazuki. You won't believe what happened this time."

Back in the hallway, Fumitsuki was busy knocking on doors, asking people if she could use their restroom, with most of them simply slamming the door in her face. After six attempts, the seventh's person, a man with graying hair, answered.

"Can I help you,_ mademoiselle_?" he asked.

"Sorry to bother you, sir, but can I…?" Fumitsuki started to ask, but before she could finish, she could feel something wet running down her pajama bottoms, and she immediately blushed upon feeling it. The man then sniffed for a second before realizing what it was.

"Oh, _sacre bleu_!" the man said.

Back at the condo, Hazuki opened the front door to find a guy with a dark brown afro.

"Shinichi, thank God you made it!" Hazuki said.

"Always here to serve, Miss Hauzki," Shinichi said.

"When are you going to get rid of that damned afro?" Hazuki asked him. "The seventies ended a long time ago."

"Well, my wife likes it, so I'm keeping it," Shinichi simply said. "So…where's the emergency?"

"My bathroom," Hazuki said.

"Did your toilet overflow again?" Shinichi asked.

"Worse," Hazuki said as he brought him to the outside of the bathroom door.

"Well…this is interesting," Shinichi said.

"So, can you fix it?" Hazuki asked him.

"Well, I can't fix it, since it seems as though the whole part of the doorknob here was ripped off," Shinichi said. "I can, however, try to open the door with one of my screwdrivers."

"Did you hear that, Mina?" Hazuki asked her sister, still trapped in the bathroom.

"Yeah, I heard," Mina said. "Um…I am a little indecent here. Just thought I'd warn you."

"Don't you have the towel in there?" Hazuki asked.

"Well, it's kind of wet, but okay," Mina said. At that moment somebody knocked on Hazuki's front door.

"Hang on, Mina. I'll be right back," Hazuki said just before she headed for the door. "If you get that door open, be sure to close your eyes as soon as she comes out, Shinichi."

"I know the drill, Hazuki," Shinichi said, continuing to get the door open. Hazuki then reached the front door and opened it, revealing Kyousuke and a very embarrassed Fumitsuki hiding behind him.

"Oh, hey, Kyousuke," Hazuki greeted him. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing much…just the fact that your guest urinated right at my front door," Kyousuke simply said. At that moment, Fumitsuki peeked from behind him. She was wearing a towel around her waist. "I'm washing her pajama bottoms and her underwear, so be sure to come by my place later tonight to pick them up."

"Sure thing, Kyousuke," Hazuki said. She then turned to Fumitsuki. "You okay, Mitsuki?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Fumitsuki said, very embarrassed.

"Just go into my bedroom and change, okay?" Hazuki told her.

"All right," Fumitsuki said just before turning to Kyousuke and bowing. "Sorry about what happened earlier."

"It's okay," Kyousuke said. Fumitsuki then entered the condo and went over to the bedroom to change. Kyousuke then turned to Hazuki. "That girl must have a weak bladder."

"Not really," Hazuki said. "The thing is, my sister, Mina, was taking a shower, and she had locked the door to the bathroom, so when Mitsuki tried to get in there, she discovered that it was locked. Then, when she tried to open the door, she ended up ripping the doorknob off of the door, and that completely messed up the lock, so now Mina's stuck in there, and that's why Fumitsuki had to go use someone else's bathroom…"

"Okay, okay, I get it," Kyousuke said. "Just make sure it doesn't happen again, okay?"

"You got it," Hazuki said.

"I got the door opened!" Shinichi called from down the hall.

"Great, Shinichi," Hazuki said. She then turned to Kyousuke. "I'm really sorry about what happened."

"Don't worry about it," Kyousuke said. "Just be lucky she didn't piss on my new Persian rug."

"Oh…that would have been a problem," Hazuki said.

"Definitely."

"Miss Yazakura!" Shinichi called from down the hall.

"If you'll excuse me, Kyousuke" Hazuki said before she headed back towards the bathroom.

"See ya, Hazuki," Kyousuke said. He then shut the door to the condo before heading back to his place. By that time, Hazuki had caught up to Shinichi.

"Well, the whole doorknob's going to need replacing," Shinichi said. "I can do that today, but I also need to get the replacement doorknob myself because I don't have one on me. That'll take a couple of hours."

"I see," Hazuki said.

"Is there anything you girls can do while I work on this?" Shinichi asked. "Because…"

"You like to work in privacy. I know," Hazuki said. "Can I talk to them first?"

"Of course," Shinichi said.

"If you'll excuse me," Hazuki said. She then walked over to Mina's bedroom and knocked on her door.

"Yeah?" Mina said through the door.

"Mina, I'd like to see you in the living room in five minutes," Hazuki said.

"Okay, Hazuki," Mina said through the door. "I just finished getting dressed, by the way."

"Excellent," Hazuki said. She then walked over to her bedroom and opened it, revealing Fumitsuki sitting on the bed, naked.

"Eek!" Fumitsuki jumped off the bed, grabbed the blanket, and covered her front with it. Her glasses were on the nightstand. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Sorry, I guess I'm accustomed to just walking into my room," Hazuki said. "Uh, where are your clothes?"

"They're in Minazuki's room," Fumitsuki said. "You did tell me to your bedroom and change, didn't you?"

"And you listened to me?!" Hazuki said. "Fumitsuki, I thought you would have gotten your clothes from Mina's room before you went into my room to change."

"Well, apparently, I didn't think that," Fumitsuki said. Hazuki then glanced outside of her room for a brief minute.

"Mina's sitting on the couch, so you can just go into her room and change there," Fumitsuki said. "Besides, I need to get dressed myself."

"Oh, yeah," Fumitsuki said, noticing Hazuki was still in her bathrobe.

"Damn, Shinichi's out there, and he's talking to Mina," Hazuki said. "You're just going to have to dash over to the bedroom quickly."

"Can't I just take the blankets with you and I'll give them back to you later?" Fumitsuki asked.

"No," Hazuki said. "Besides, you've already caused enough trouble today." Sighing, Fumitsuki gave up.

"All right," she said, grabbing her glasses from the nightstand.

"And dress quickly. I need to speak to both you and Mina in about…four minutes," Hazuki said, checking a nearby wall clock.

"Okay," Fumitsuki said. Back in the living room.

"So, have you ever watched Excel Saga, Minazuki?" Shinichi asked her.

"Mm-mm," Mina shook her head. "Hazuki says I'm not allowed to watch that."

"Bummer," Shinichi said. At that moment, they could see Fumitsuki dashing down the hall and into Mina's room (remember, Fumitsuki is still naked). "Uh…what was that about?" At that moment, Hazuki entered the living room.

"Sorry about that," Hazuki said. "Fumitsuki was trying to find a place to use the ladies' room, and she ended up peeing in front of the neighbor's door." Minazuki then blushed heavily.

"What a weird household," Shinichi said to himself.

Some time later, Hazuki was in the living room talking to Mina and Fumitsuki, who were sitting on opposite ends of the couch. All the girls were fully dressed.

"So, what do you girls want to do today?" Hazuki asked.

"Can we go back to the Maneki Resort, Hazuki?" Mina asked.

"No, Mina," Hazuki said. "I don't want to go to the resort every day that I'm off. Any other ideas? Mitsuki?"

"Why can't we just stay here?" Fumitsuki asked, still embarrassed about what happened earlier.

"Because Shinichi needs to work in peace if we want to have a new bathroom doorknob," Hazuki said, glaring at Fumitsuki.

"Sorry," Fumitsuki said, bowing her head in shame.

"It's alright," Hazuki said. "These things happen. Anyways, I was suggest that we all go for a walk through the city, just the three of us. The weather's nice enough for it."

"Um…I don't know," Minazuki said.

"Well…maybe…" Fumitsuki was twiddling her thumbs, not really look at Hazuki.

"If you want my advice…" Shinichi said, apparently eavesdropping on their conversation, "if you want to go for a walk, I suggest you do it today, because I heard that we might be getting a storm tomorrow."

"Really?" Hazuki asked.

"At least, that's what I heard," Shinichi said.

"Thanks," Hazuki said.

"No problem."

"Well, since it's going to be a nice day, I guess we could do it," Mina said. "What do you think, Fumitsuki?" Fumitsuki was still sitting there with an embarrassed look on her face, not saying anything. "Fumitsuki?"

"Huh?" Fumitsuki snapped out of it. "Did you say something, Mina?"

"We're going to go take a walk through the town," Mina said.

"Oh, I don't know…"

"Mitsuki…don't let what happened earlier get you down," Hazuki said. "Besides…we could all use the fresh air."

"Well…all right," Fumitsuki said.

"YES!"

"Did you say something, Shinichi?" Hazuki glared at him.

"Of course not!" Shinichi said, chuckling nervously. "Don't be ridiculous!"

* * *

Back at the Ichimonji Ranch, Hikaru was pacing back and forth through the living room, while checking his watch.

"Where in the hell are they?" Hikaru asked himself.

"Where are who, dear?" Hikaru gasped then turned around to find his wife, Satomi, standing behind him.

"Satomi!" Hikaru said, a little startled to see his wife there. "I was waiting for…you know."

"Oh…" Satomi said. "I just hope that he's not driving."

"He isn't," Hikaru said. "He called me earlier this morning. They'll be coming in a 2000 Subaru Lancaster (Outback, for you Americans)."

"That's not his car, is it?" Satomi asked.

"Of course not," Hikaru said. "In fact, he drives a…good morning, Mutsuki."

"He drives a 'Good Morning, Mutsuki?" Satomi asked confusedly.

"Good morning, mama," Mutsuki said, wearing her glasses and some casual clothes.

"Oh…good morning, Mu-chan," Satomi said, a little startled. "You feeling better?"

"Oh, yes, mama," Mutsuki said. "Is it okay if I make a couple of phone calls?"

"Just who are you going to call, Mutsuki?" Satomi asked.

"Only a couple of people,"

"Would any of those people happen to be your so-called sisters?" Hikaru asked, with a bit of anger in his voice.

"Well…kind of, daddy," Mutsuki said, sweating a little. "I promise I'll be quick."

"Okay, Mu-chan," Hikaru said, smiling a little.

"_Arigato_," Mutsuki said

"What do you think of all this?" Hikaru asked his wife.

"Of what?"

"The fact that Mutsuki is a mother…at her age."

"I don't really have a problem with that," Satomi said. "Besides, I was a lot younger when I had Mutsuki, remember?"

"Not that much younger," Hikaru said. "Mutsuki's only 28, and you were…26?"

"I was only three weeks from my 26th birthday, Karu, so I would have been 25," Satomi explained. She then playfully hit him. "Have you forgotten your own wife's birthday?"

"Of course not," Hikaru said, rubbing his sore arm. Over that the phone, Mutsuki was calling Satsuki's cell phone, but she had it turned off.

"Hi, Satsuki. Just calling to see how you and Chitose are doing," Mutsuki left a message on Satsuki's voicemail. She was about to dial Yayoi's number but realized… "Oh, right. She doesn't get reception to where she's at. Oh, I'll leave a message for her anyway." She then dialed Yayoi's cell phone number.

"And the other one's 25," Satomi said to her husband. She was telling her about the teacher-moms that Mutsuki had told her about in detail the other day.

"Twenty-five?!" Hikaru wondered. "And she's another mother to this Chitose?"

"Yes."

"I think I understand why she didn't tell us about that earlier," Hikaru said. "If the schoolboard had found out about this, there would have been a scandal bigger than Watergate."

"You're not going to tell anyone else about this, are you?" Satomi asked.

"Of course not," Hikaru said. "I would never do that to my daughter." He then glances towards Mutsuki, who's still making phone calls, then whispers in his wife's ear. "I _might_ tell Takahiro later, but that's all. I'll tell him that if he tells anyone else, I'll have you break him in half."

"Nice," Satomi said with an evil smirk on her face.

"What were you two talking about?" Both spouses were startled to see that Mutsuki was done with her phone calls.

"Nothing" both said simultaneously.

"Right…" Mutsuki said, not convinced.

"Say, were your phone calls really that quick?" Hikaru asked.

"I couldn't get a hold of some of them. I guess they're having too much fun," Mutsuki said.

"You know, you really to visit us more often," Hikaru said. "I know, you live all the way down in Tokyo, but still…"

"Mutsuki, you haven't talked to us on the phone in nearly a year," Satomi said. "You haven't visited us in nearly two years. I know all this is keeping you busy, but still…" At that moment, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get that," Mutsuki said as she walked towards the front door.

"Mutsuki…" Satomi was about to walk to her, but Hikaru stopped her.

"Relax, Tomi," Hikaru said. "It'll only be the two doctors at the door."

"I hope so." At that moment, Mutsuki opened the door, and found a tall, dark-skinned man very short black hair wearing a red Manchester United jersey and a woman with auburn-colored hair in dreadlocks wearing a black Hanshin Tigers t-shirt.

"Uh…hi," Mutsuki greeted them.

"Hello," Lenny said in his British accent. "Are you Mutsuki?"

"Why, yes I am," Mutsuki said nervously. "Who are you?"

"Mutsuki! Where are you manners?" Hikaru scolded his daughter.

"Sorry," Mutsuki bowed.

"Tomi, Mutsuki, this is Lennox Robinson, or Lenny for short," Hikaru introduced the girls to them. "He's originally from England, and this is Tamiko Yamada, or Tami as everyone calls her, she's originally from Kobe."

"Nice to meet you," Tami said.

"Nice to meet you," Lenny said.

"You've obviously met my daughter, Mutsuki Ichimonji. And this is Satomi, my wife of almost 30 years."

"It's nice to meet you both," Satomi replied in English, with a bit of a British accent.

"Uh…nice to meet you, too…I guess," Tami said uneasily.

"Are you from England?" Lenny asked in English.

"No, my father was," Satomi replied. "He was in the Royal Navy."

"Ah, interesting," Lenny said.

"Ahem," Hikaru cleared his throat. "Aren't you two going to come in?"

"Oh, sorry about that," Lenny said as he removed his shoes and entered the house. Tami did the same.

"So…how do you two know my father?" Mutsuki asked suspiciously.

"Well, we were introduced to your father by a personal friend of his," Lenny said. "We've hung out together a couple of times, but we've never actually been to his house before."

"Is it true that this place has a hot springs?" Tami asked.

"Mm-hmm," Hikaru nodded. "In fact, this building right here used to be a hotel."

"Really?" Mutsuki wondered. "You never told me that."

"Well, if I had told you, you would have asked why we didn't stay here, and I would have said that we couldn't have afforded to stay here," Hikaru said.

"Okay…" Mutsuki didn't really believe that.

After spending a half-hour of getting to know the two doctors better, Satomi and Mutsuki were on their way out.

"Are you sure you will be okay?" Satomi asked her husband, who was at the door with Tami and Lenny.

"We'll all be fine, Tomi. Don't worry about us," Hikaru reassured his wife.

"Okay," Satomi said. "If you guys need to get a hold of us, we'll be at the Tsukisamu Skating Rink. And don't forget…"

"I have both of your cell phone numbers," Hikaru said. "Will you two just get out of here?!"

"All right! All right!" Satomi said. "We're going." Soon, both were in Satomi's Mazda Cosmo (with Satomi driving, obviously) and were driving off towards the rink.

"Dad's up to something. I know it," Mutsuki said.

"Maybe…" Satomi said. "But maybe he's just so anxious to give the doctors a tour of the place."

Back near the Ichimonji Ranch, Tami was opening the liftgate of her Subaru and uncovered the lump that was in the back area, which turned out to be one Takahiro Kobayashi.

"Okay, whose idea was this again?" Takahiro asked while catching his breath. Lenny and Tami simply responded by pointing at each other.

"Never mind whose idea it was," Hikaru said. "At least we managed to get Mutsuki out of the house so we could give you two the grand tour."

"Is it really as bad as you said it was?" Tami asked Taky.

"I guess it is," Taky said as Lenny helped him out. "Then again, I haven't really seen Mutsuki since this past Thursday. Aah!" He then held his right knee in pain.

"Is that knee still bothering you?" Tami asked. "I thought you had surgery on that."

"I've had two surgeries on this knee, and it still bothers me," Taky said.

"How'd you injure it again?" Lenny asked.

"A wrestling match. I've told you at least four times beforehand, Leonard," Taky said half-mockingly.

"Oh, yeah," Lenny remembered.

"As soon as you feel okay to walk, you want to help me give the tour, Takahiro?"

"Of course, _sensei_," Taky said, still holding his knee.

Back in the car…

"So, where are we going to again?" Mutsuki asked her mother.

"The Tsukimato Ice Arena," Satomi said. "I figured I'd take you there so we can do some skating together."

"Mom, I haven't skated in over 10 years," Mutsuki said.

"I know," Satomi said. "I figured that doing some skating will help you relax." Just then, her cell phone rang, which she immediately answered. "Hello?"

"Hi, Nee-san," the voice on the other side said.

"Kazuki! Good to hear from you again," Satomi said. Kazuki Watanabe was Satomi's younger (and only) brother. He was a travel photographer, and his job took him all around the world. "So, where are you off to this time?"

"Thailand," Kazuki replied. He was calling from a his cell phone and was sitting in the waiting area near his gate. "They're going to be boarding within the next half an hour, so I thought I'd call and say hi before I leave."

"You never get tired of doing this, do you?" Satomi asked her brother.

"Tomi-chan, I'll be doing this until the day I die," Kazuki said. "Hey, I heard that Mutsuki was visiting you guys. Is she with you right now?"

"Yes, but she's not really in the mood to talk right now," Satomi said.

"Why not?" Kazuki asked. "Please don't tell me she hasn't gotten over that thing with Kobayashi."

"She hasn't gotten over the thing with…you know," Satomi said, making sure not to say Takahiro's name.

"I told you not to tell me that," Kazuki said. "Satomi, that girl has got to get over it at some time or another. If she doesn't, then it's going to affect her for the rest of her life."

"Have you been reading those magazines again?" Satomi asked her brother.

"Yes," Kazuki said, bluntly. "They're the only thing I can read in this damn place. Listen, I'm going to go call my daughter now. I'll call you when I get to Bangkok, okay?"

"Okay," Satomi said. "Are you going to head to the James Bond Island, _otouto_?"

"Yes, nee-chan," Kazuki said. "I'll take those pictures especially for you and Hikaru-san, okay?"

"Okay," Satomi said.

"Take care, Tomi."

"You, too."

"Sayonara."

"Sayonara, _otouto_."

"Was that _Oji-san_, mom?" Mutsuki asked.

"Yes, it was, Mu-chan," Satomi said. "He's going to Thailand for his next assignment."

"Wow, that sounds exciting," Mutsuki said. "How come he still flies all around the world, mama?"

"Because he loves his job so much," Satomi simply replied.

(notes: _otouto_ means little brother, and _Oji-san _means uncle)

* * *

Back in the van, the Super Sentai CD was now at the Dynaman theme, which could mean only one thing…

_Moero! Hi no tama  
Moero! Hi no tama_

_Hissatsu! Hissatsu!  
Super Super Dynamite_

_Dai Dai Dai Dai Dynaman_

_Dai Dai Dai Dai Dynaman_

_Bakuhatsu! Bakuhatsu!_

_Kagaku Sentai Dynaman_

Keni was singing (better than Chitose expected) to the song.

"Can you turn that down now?" Satsuki said. "It's bad enough that we've had to listen to this at full blast since we left the house."

"Okay, sis," Daichi said as he turned down the radio, but kept the CD playing. "You want to know something, Chi? When Dynaman was first on the air, all us siblings, except for Tommy, he wasn't born yet…at Halloween, we all dressed up as the Dynamen. Kazu was Dyna Red, I was Dyna Black, Keni was Dyna Blue, Mako was Dyna Yellow, and Saki was Dyna Pink."

"I just HAD to be Dyna Pink, didn't I?" Satsuki said.

"Of course, Saki," Kazu said from the back. "There was only one girl on the team, Chitose. Come to think of it, all the Sentai teams until Bioman had only one female on the team, with the exception of Sun Vulcan. All the team members on that one were male."

"Oh…" Chitose said.

"You ever watch Super Sentai, Chitose?" Daichi asked.

"I vaguely remember watching it a long time ago," Chitose said.

"You ever see Ultraman, Chitose?" Tommy asked.

"Huh?"

"What about Kamen Rider?" Tommy continued, "or, how about Metal Heroes?"

"Knock it off, baka-brain," Keni said. "You'll have to excuse him, Chitose. Tommy's a real nut when it comes to those tokusatsu shows. Just mention one thing about it and he'll talk nonstop for hours."

"Ah…" Chitose said.

"Can we not talk about Sentai, or whatever you people are talking about, please?" Satsuki asked.

"Okay, sis," Daichi said. "Hey, why don't I talk about our first trip out of Japan?"

"You mean when we went to Western Canada?" Keni asked.

"That one," Daichi said. "What year was that again, Kazu?"

"Come on, Daichi," Kazu said. "You remember damn well when that was."

"Yeah, but I want to hear it from you, since you're so good with dates and such," Dai said.

"Fine," Kazu said. "It was back in the summer of 1981."

"It was '82, Kaz," Satsuki said.

"I knew that," Kazu said. "I was testing you."

"I knew that, too," Daichi said. "Anyways, we flew over to Canada, and…"

"Hold on a second," Chitose said. "You all went to Canada?"

"Well, Tommy wasn't born yet, and Mama was apprehensive about leaving her country, so it was just the six of us," Daichi said. "And by the six of us, I mean Papa-san…"

"I get the idea, Dai," Chi said.

"Well, excuse me," Daichi said. "Anyways, we caught a ferry in Takamatsu and took that to Okayama…you have to remember, back then, Shikoku was a very isolated island, and the only way to get to the other islands was by ferry."

"Oh," Chitose said.

"Anyways, after we arrived in Okayama, we flew to Tokyo, and then we flew over to Vancouver," Daichi continued. "After that, we drove over to Calgary, which is in Alberta, next to British Columbia…does this feel like a geography lesson to you, Chitose?"

"A little," Chitose said. The van then passed a sign that said "Now Entering Kagawa Prefecture."

"Okay," Daichi said. "Once we arrived in Calgary, we got to visit the legendary Hart House, and we even got to have dinner with the Hart Family."

"Wow," Chitose said. "How many kids did Stu Hart have?"

"Twelve," Kazu said. "Smith, Bruce, Keith, Wayne, Dean, Ellie, Georgia, Bret, Alison, Ross, Diana, and Owen. Owen, the youngest, was 17 when we visited the Hart House."

"D…did you guys go into the Dungeon?" Chitose asked nervously.

"Yeah, we went into the Dungeon," Daichi said. "I can still remember Stu Hart telling me in that gruff voice of his, 'Time to go into the Dungeon, Daichi.'"

"Hey, that's a pretty good imitation of him there, bro," Kazu said.

"Thanks, Kaz."

"Hey…do Stu's son Bret," Tommy said.

"Aw, come on, man!" Daichi groaned.

"PLEASE!" Tommy said, with his best puppy-dog looks in his eyes. Daichi then cleared his throat, before speaking as Bret Hart.

"Well, you know what? I am the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be," Daichi said as the Excellence of Execution.

"Who in the hell is that, some mid-carder?" Tommy said, imitating Shawn Michaels. Kazu and Keni immediately laughed that.

"I walked right into that one, didn't I?" Daichi said.

"I can't believe I'm related to you guys," Satsuki said. "Maybe I was switched at birth."

"Oh, come on, sis," Keni said. "You don't really mean that, do you?"

"I don't quite get what you guys are talking about," Chitose said.

"If it makes you feel any better, neither do I," Satsuki said.

"I'll explain it, guys," Kazu said. "You see, at the time…around the summer of 1998, Bret Hart was in WCW, having gone there after the Montreal incident."

"Montreal incident?" Chitose asked.

"I'll explain later," Kazu said. "Anyways, Shawn Michaels was doing commentary for Monday Night Raw since he had been forced to retire from in ring competition due to his back injury, and at ringside was this kid, Jason Sensation. Now, this guy can do impressions of just about any professional wrestler out there. Now, when Shawn Michaels was saying 'Who's Bret Hart, some mid-carder," it actually had a double meaning. It referenced the infamous Bret Hart-Shawn Michaels rivalry, but it also pointed out the fact that Bret Hart, since going to WCW, had basically become a mid-carder. I think he was the U.S. Champion at the time. I really don't remember. You'll have to ask Mako about that one."

"I see," Chitose said. "Hey, Tommy, who was that you were imitating just a moment ago?"

"I was doing Shawn Michaels," Tommy said. "I do a little impressions on the side."

"Back to MY story…" Daichi said.

"Sorry," the other boys in the van said.

"After we left Calgary, we drove over to Edmonton," Daichi continued. "We went to the West Edmonton Mall, but it wasn't as big as it is nowadays. We also managed to catch a baseball game. It was between the Edmonton Trappers and the Vancouver Canadians of the Pacific Coast League."

"Oh," Chitose said.

"Anyways, we all had a blast there," Daichi said. "Hopefully, you'll be able to hear more about our road trips later."

"Nice," Chitose said. After a minute or so, Satsuki spoke up.

"So, how far can you guys drive this thing?" Satsuki asked.

"Well, basically, we can't leave Shikoku," Daichi said. "That should answer your question."

"Uh-huh," Satsuki said. After another minute or so, Keni spoke up.

"You guys want to know something interesting?" Keni said.

"Well, not really, but you're going to tell us anyways, aren't you?" Kazu said."

"Yep," Keni said. "Almost country that I went to on the 007 World Tour, with the exceptions of the Bahamas, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Macau, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. Except of those, all of the countries I went to drive on the right."

"Really?" Chitose wondered.

"Yep," Keni said. "In fact, when I first went to Azerbaijan, I had to…hang on. Turn it up, Daichi."

"Oh, no," Kazu said.

"Do I have to, Keni?" Daichi asked.

"YES!"

"All right, all right!" Daichi said as he turned up the radio.

"If there's one theme he likes better than Dynaman…" Satsuki said.

"It's Maskman," Kazu finished for her. He was also covering Tommy's mouth, as he also liked the theme to _Hikari Sentai Maskman_. And Keni began singing…

_Kin no oora ni inochi ga moeru_

_Hito wa fushigi na chikara himete 'ru_

While Keni was singing, Chitose noticed a pad of paper and a pen underneath his seat, so he began to write something on it.

_Mune de sasayaku dare ka no koe ni_

_Mimi wo sumase yo_

He then handed the paper and pen to Satsuki, and the note read "Your brothers are insane."

_Aa Kimi no karada wa_

_Chijou ni orita shinpi no izumi da_

_Kami no sumu hoshi da_

Satsuki then used the other side of the paper to write down her note, which she then handed to Chitose.

_KI! KI! oora pawaa_

_Kitaeagero yo oora pawaa_

Chitose read the note, which said "It's times like this I wish I was an only child."

_KI! KI! oora pawaa_

_Misete yaru n' da oora pawaa_

Chitose wrote below her note, then handed it back to Satsuki. His note said, "I see what you mean."

_Tatakau kimi wa utsukushii_

_Aa Hikari Sentai Masukuman_

The van continued driving down the highway, with the Super Sentai theme continuing to blare at full blast (and Keni singing along).

* * *

Back in the undisclosed Kyoto location, the nude Takashi Suzuki was slumped unconscious in his chair, still tied up. He had bruises all over his body due to him being tortured in various methods. Just then, the door opened, and two masked figures entered the room, both carrying bags over their shoulders. They walked over to the slumped Suzuki and put their bags on the floor. Both of them opened the bags: one which had some clothes in them, the other with some martial arts weapons in them (tonfa, nunchaku, bō disassembled into two pieces, sai, etc.). One of the two reached into the 'weapons' bag and pulled out a sai. The other person pulled out some clothes out of their bag. The first person used the sai to cut the ropes keeping Suzuki tied to the chair.

"Do I have to put these clothes on him?" the masked person holding the clothes said.

"Yes," the other masked person said as she was carefully cutting the ropes with one of the sai.

"Why can't _you_ put these on the rainbow-haired maniac?" At that moment, Suzuki moaned and started to move a little.

"There's only one person that calls me a 'Rainbow-haired Maniac,'" Suzuki muttered. At that moment, the two people removed their masks, revealing them to be Natsuko and Mizuki. Natsuko was holding the clothes and Mizuki was holding the sai. "I thought so."

"Good to see you still have your sense of humor, Suzuki," Mizuki said. "Natsuko, put the clothes on him!"

"Do I have to?" Natsuko moaned.

"YES!" both Mizuki and Suzuki said.

"Damn you both," Natsuko said to herself. Reluctantly, she dressed her 'ex-boss.' Soon, Suzuki was wearing a purple Kyoto Sanga F.C. jersey, black pants, and sandals.

"Can you stand?" Mizuki asked Suzuki.

"I'll be fine, Miz," Suzuki said. "Anyways, let's get out of here." No sooner did he stand up than somebody's cell phone rang.

"Aw, man! I thought I turned it off," Natsuko said as she checked to see who was calling her. It read 'Daddy.' "It's my father."

"Your father?" Suzuki asked. "What's he calling you for?"

"I don't know," Natsuko said as she accepted the call. "Hello?"

"Hi, Natsu-chan," the voice on the other side said.

"Dad, I thought I told you not to call me that anymore!" Natsuko said, embarrassed. "I'm not five years old anymore."

"Sorry," Kazuki said. He was also Natsuko's father, which made she and Mutsuki cousins. "I just wanted you to know that my plane for Bangkok is boarding now, so I thought I'd say hi before I have to turn my cell phone off."

"Well, you picked a bad time to call, _father_," Natsuko said, with emphasis on 'father.' "I'm a little busy right now. I promise I'll call you back later."

"Well, you'll have to call some time after 5:00 p.m., because I'll be in Bangkok by then," Kazuki said while checking his watch. It was 11:00 a.m. right now.

"Okay," Natsuko said. "Well, I'll call you then. Love ya, daddy."

"Love you too, Natsu-chan."

"DAD!"

"Sorry, I couldn't resist," Kazuki said before hanging up.

"If I die, I am so haunting him for the rest of his life," Natsuko said.

"You and me both," Mizuki said. "You sure you okay, Suzuki?"

"I'm said I'm fine, Mizuki," Suzuki said. "Don't worry about me."

"Right," Mizuki said. "Now, let's get out of here." They picked up their bags and were about to go through the door, which was blocked by Koushiro, holding a machine gun in his hands.

"I think not," Koushiro said coldly.

"Dammit!" Mizuki said. "And there's no other way out of here."

"Of course not!" All three Cosplayers gasped when they heard that voice. It was Tagawa, who stood behind Koushiro. "Did you really think that your Cosplay tricks would fool me?" He then whispered into Koushiro's ear. "If even one of them moves, kill them all." He then spoke to the Cosplay trio. "Ladies and gentleman, I'd love to stay and witness this execution, but I have a very important meeting to get to. I hope you understand. _Ciao_." He then left the room, leaving Natsuko, Suzuki, and Mizuki staring at the barrel of a machine gun.

"I am going to enjoy every second of this," Koushiro said as he cocked the machine gun. But before he could fire, he felt himself being knocked in the back of his head by something. He then fell unconscious.

"Uh…what just happened here?" Mizuki asked.

"I don't know! Somebody grab the gun!" Suzuki shouted. Natsuko then ran over to the unconscious Koushiro and grabbed the machine gun.

"Got it!"

"Good. Now, let's get out of here!" They were about to leave again, but this time, two masked henchmen entered the room, with sheaths on their backs. The two then unsheathed their katana swords, which were pretty damn sharp. They started swinging them around, in an attempt to intimidate the trio.

"Oh, the hell with it," Natsuko said before firing the machine gun into both of them. After about five seconds, she stopped, and the two henchmen fell down dead.

"Wonderful! Now, let's get the hell out of here!" Suzuki said. Mizuki then glanced behind her for a second.

"Uh…Suzuki…" He then turned around and noticed two more masked henchmen approaching them. These ones had pistols in their hands.

"Natsuko!"

"The gun's jammed!" Natsuko said, franticly trying to un-jam the gun. Mizuki, noticing the two sai on the floor, dove over to them, grabbed them, and threw them, one at a time, to each of the masked dudes. They both fell down dead.

"Nice work, Mileena," Suzuki said.

"Thank you. I've been practicing," Mizuki said.

"There! It's working now!" Natsuko said, fixing her gun.

"Good! Now, let's get the fuck out of here!" Suzuki shouted.

The three then left the room and ran down the halls.

"By the way, do any of you know how that guy got knocked out?" Mizuki asked.

"Who cares?!" Natsuko shouted. "Let's just get going!"

Over in his office, Tagawa was on the phone with someone.

"No sign of her yet?" he asked. "Well, as soon as you find her, kill her…along with the other Cosplayers." The other person then talked for a bit. "Are you questioning my orders? I want her DEAD! I WANT HER FRIENDS DEAD! I WANT HER FAMILY DEAD! DO WE HAVE THAT CLEAR?!" He then slammed down the phone as he hung it up. Just then, it rang again. "WHAT?!"

"Sir, the prisoners have escaped," the voice on the other end said. "Should I have them executed?"

"No…no, just let them go," Tagawa said as he opened his laptop, revealing a map of Kyoto with a green dot on it. "The situation is under control." He then hung up the phone and laughed evilly.

* * *

On the road in the Mitsubishi Challenger (Toshi was driving, Kai was rising shotgun, Kisaragi was sitting behind Kai, and Kanna, who was heavily restrained, was sitting behind Toshi), the vehicle had just entered the Kyoto Prefecture.

"Are we there yet?" Kanna moaned.

"No, we're not," Toshi said. "Kisaragi, why didn't just you tape her mouth shut?"

"She needs to breathe, Toshi," Kisaragi said as she was dialing her cell phone. "Besides, if she gets out of hand, I've got these." She was holding her right arm up, which was handcuffed to Kanna's left arm. She was also wearing rubber gloves on both of her hands.

"Uh-huh," Toshi said. "Hey, who are you calling exactly?"

"My father," Kisaragi said. Unfortunately, her father was unavailable, so she had to leave a message on his answering machine. "Hi, daddy, it's me. We just entered the Prefecture, so we should be there in about a half hour or so. Call me when you get this. Bye." She then hung up.

"By the way, Kisa-chan…"

"Yes, Kaito?"

"Who exactly were you talking to on the phone last night?" Kai asked. "You know, when we got to the hotel."

"Oh, that was one of my fellow teachers, Uzuki Shitennou," Kisaragi said. "I'll tell you more about her later."

"Okay, Kisa."

"Hey, why can't you tell us about her now?" Toshi moaned.

"Because I'm good at keeping secrets, Satoshi," Kisaragi said in her monotone voice.

"Yeah," Kai said. "She's very good at keeping secrets, but we never keep secrets from each other. Right, Kisa-chan?"

"Right."

"Mm-hmm," Toshi said.

"By the way, those aren't those electric handcuffs you talking to me about earlier, are they, Kisa-chan?" Kai asked.

"Actually, they are," Kisaragi said. "Don't worry, the car won't explode is she gets shocked. I turned them to a very low level just before we left."

"That's reassuring," Kai said. "Hey, Toshi, turn on the radio."

"Okay," Toshi said. As soon as he turned on the radio, Kai started tuning through the various frequencies.

"What are you looking for, Kaito?" Kisaragi asked.

"She should be coming on right about…now," Kai said as he found the station he was looking for.

"Hi, I'm Taka…" the male radio deejay said, whose full name was Ryoichi Takahashi.

"And I'm Michi…" the female radio deejay said, whose full name was Michiko Yoshida, who happened to be Kai's older sister.

"And you're listening to _Taka and Michi_ here on KBS," Taka said.

"That's my big sister on the radio there," Kai said.

"Oh?" Kisaragi said.

"I met her once," Toshi said. "And she insulted me on the air shortly afterwards. I've never forgiven her for that."

"Is it because you're fat?" Kanna asked. Toshi simply glared at him. "I'll be quiet." Everyone continued to listen to the radio.

"Well, let's get to our first guest for today," Taka said. "Now, if you grew up in the late 70s and early 80s, you might recognize this guy. He was in such tokusatsu shows as 'Battle Fever J,' playing Shirou Akebono, a.k.a. Battle Kenya, which I believe was the first black Sentai Warrior in history. That is, a warrior that wore black as his primary color. Anyways, he also played Daigorou Oume, a.k.a. Denji Blue, in Denjiman, but my favorite of his roles, and the role he might be perhaps best known for, is that of Retsu Ichijouji, a.k.a. Space Sheriff Gavan. I am talking about the one, the only, Kenji Ohba. Kenji, good to have you here."

"My pleasure," Kenji said.

"I met Kenji Ohba once at a convention in Fukuoka," Kai said. "Told him I was one of his biggest fans, and obviously, I got his autograph."

"I think everybody knows that already, Kai," Toshi said, somewhat annoyed.

"Well, you know it. I know it. Kisaragi knows it. But I'll betcha Kanna didn't know that," Kai said, looking at Kanna upon saying her name.

"And I didn't wanna know it either," Kanna moaned. At that moment, Kisaragi pressed a button in the remote in her left hand, which gave a shock to Kanna. After five seconds, she stopped, leaving a charred Kanna Togakushi. "Ow!"

"Serves ya right," Kisaragi said.

The quartet then listened to the radio for a few minutes, in which the interview seemed to go well, until…

"You know, my brother is a huge fan of yours," Michi said. "And it was all he ever talked about when he was a kid. Kenji Ohba! Kenji Ohba! Quite frankly it pissed me off. No offence, Mr. Ohba, but I did not ask you to be a guest today. In fact, when I found out you were a guest, I didn't even want to come in today."

"Oh, that's it. I am so calling in right now," Kai said, taking the cell phone out of his pocket and dialing the station.

"What is he doing?" Kanna asked.

"_Taka and Michi_ have a call-in segment during their show, but it usually doesn't come on until later," Toshi explained. "If I know Kai, he'll pressure the station into getting him on the air."

"Okay…"

"Well, it looks as though we already have a caller," Taka said. "It's an anonymous person calling from a cell phone right here in Kyoto. _Taka and Michi_, you're on the air."

"Hello, _onee-chan_." Michi gasped at who just called at that moment.

"K-Kaito?" Michi stuttered. "Where are you right now?"

"I'm in Kyoto," Kai said, on the phone. "On my way to the city for business. But let's not talk about me right now. Hey, Kenji, how are you doing?"

"I'm, uh…I'm doing fine," Kenji said. "Who is this?"

"You don't remember me?" Kai said, somewhat saddened. "The Tokusatsu Convention in Fukuoka two years ago? I came in dressed as Space Sheriff Gavan, and sister was dressed as Mimi."

"Oh, yeah," Kenji said. "Now I remember you. Now I realize why I thought you looked familiar, Michi."

"Put a sock in it," Michi said, obviously very angry.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, I've got another one," Kai said. "Michi, tell him about the time you walked into the men's bath at that hot springs resort in Hakone." Just then, he heard a dial tone on his phone. "She cut me off. That stupid bitch cut me off!"

"Bakamono," Michi then said.

"I'm curious now, Michi," Taka said. "What exactly was he talking about? Did you really go into the men's bath at a hot springs?"

"That was nearly twenty years ago, Ryoichi!" Michi said, obviously pissed. "And besides, that little pervert played a prank on me!"

"Really?" Kenji said, obviously interested.

"I don't want to talk about it," Michi said.

"But we want to know!!" Taka and Kenji said.

"Forget it! That little bastard has been a pain in my ass for 28 years!" Michi was REALLY starting to get pissed now. "And besides…"

"Can you believe she's saying all that crap about you, Kai?" Toshi asked his business partner.

"Yeah," Kai asid. "But she's basically all talk and no action."

"She's a scary woman," Kanna said. "What do you think, Kisaragi?" Kanna turned to find a chibi-doll version of Kisaragi where Kisaragi once was. The handcuffs were around the doll's neck. "Huh?! Where is Kisaragi?!"

"And that girl she's been dating for the past few years really creeps me out!" Michi continued ranting. "If anything, she should be institutionalized, and…wait a minute! How the hell did you get in here?!" The next thing anyone knew, a whack sound was heard, and a body fell to the floor.

"_Irritating Sister Prevention Device, Version 3.4_," Kisaragi said.

"You…do realize that's just a hammer, right?" Taka asked.

"You're no fun at all," Kisaragi said. "And Mr. Ohba?"

"Yes?"

"I really enjoyed your work in _Gavan_." She then left the studio, leaving Ohba and Taka dumbfounded, while Michi was still unconscious.

"What…the hell just happened?" Toshi asked.

"My girlfriend simply showed my sister what's what," Kai said. "Right, Kisa-chan?"

"Right." Kisaragi was back in her original seat, as if she had never left.

"You've got to tell me how you do that sometime," Toshi said.

* * *

In town, Hazuki, Fumitsuki, and Minazuki were walking down the street about to enjoy their day. Fumitsuki was still embarrassed about what happened earlier.

"If anyone from my class finds out about this, I will never hear the end of it," Fumitsuki said.

"Did you really wet yourself, Fumitsuki?" Mina asked. Fumitsuki turned three shades of red at that point…if that's even possible.

"Mina, that's enough!" Hazuki said. "Mitsuki's embarrassed enough already. We won't talk about this anymore, okay?"

"Okay," both girls said. At that moment, the dented silver vehicle drove down the road at insane speeds (don't worry, there's only one person in the car), with fifteen police cruisers following it, and a police officer on a bicycle pedaling behind them.

"Stop, you crazy bitch!" the female police officer said.

"What…was that?" Fumitsuki asked.

"I have no idea," Minazuki said.

"I just hope that they catch that crazy bitch this time," Hazuki said.

"By the way, Hazuki, can I borrow your cell phone for a minute?" Mina asked her sister.

"Sure, Mina," Hazuki said as she handed it to her sister. "Are you going to call Chi?"

"No, Hazuki," Mina said as she dialed the number. "I'm calling Mike."

"Mike?"

"Wait a minute…wasn't that the crazy person we met the other day?" Fumitsuki asked.

"Mike is not crazy!" Mina said angrily. "She happens to be a nice woman…who has a few problems."

"Right…" Hazuki and Fumitsuki said.

Over in a messy bedroom of an apartment, a cell phone was ringing. After about five rings, a hand reached over and grabbed the phone.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Mike!"

"What did I say about calling me too early?" Mike said grumpily.

"Sorry. Did I wake you?"

"Nah, I was getting up anyways," Mike said, stretching a bit. She was wearing a loose white tank top (with no bra) and a pair of blue pajama shorts. "So…what are you doing today?"

"Well, because Fumitsuki tore off the doorknob to the bathroom, we're going for a walk while the repairman fixes it," Mina said.

"Mina!" Fumitsuki blushed heavily again.

"Fumitsuki…she's the one with the glasses, right?" Mike said, still stretching in her bedroom.

"Yes, she is."

"Thought so," Mike said. "So, where are you guys going?"

"I don't know," Mina said. "We're pretty much just walking along here."

"Nice. Hey, I just thought of something. Why don't we all have lunch together the Gonzales Mexicanese Restaurant?"

"Hang on a second," Mina said before she covered the phone and turned to the other two girls. "Hey, Hazuki, can we have lunch at Raul's?"

"I don't see why not," Hazuki said. "What do you think, Mitsuki?"

"Oh, god! Do we have to eat there?" Fumitsuki moaned. Hazuki simply turned to her sister and nodded.

"That's fine with us, Mike," Mina said. Back at the apartment, Mike had just finished taking off her tank top. "So, at what time do you want to meet us there?"

"I don't know, Mina," Mike said before setting the phone down on her nightstand again. She then went to remove her pajama shorts, leaving her completely naked. She picked up the phone again. "I'm going to go take a shower, take care of all the pre-morning rituals, and then I'm going to head over to there."

"Okay," Mina said. "Well, we'll see you when we see you."

"Great," Mike said. "Bye, Mina."

"Bye, Mike," Mina said. She then hung up the cell phone and handed it back to Hazuki.

"She's not going to yell at Raul and Rafael, is she?" Hazuki asked.

"I don't know, I didn't ask her," Mina said. Both Hazuki and Fumitsuki fell onto the sidewalk before Hazuki picked herself up.

"Well, anyways, let's get walking," Hazuki said. "Raul's should be about two kilometers or so from here."

"Okay!" Mina said. The two sisters then started walking. After about twenty seconds, Mina realized something. "Wait a minute…aren't we forgetting someone?"

"Do we have to eat there?" Fumitsuki asked, still floored.

* * *

Outside of the Kagawa Fun Center, the Mazda Savana had pulled up to the front entrance, where Hiroto got out of the car. Mako was driving, and wearing sunglasses.

"I'll go find someplace to park, Papa-san," Mako said.

"Well, you'd better be careful, son," Hiroto said. "You know those high schoolers from Okayama could be lurking around somewhere."

"I'll keep that in mind," Mako said. Hiroto then shut the passengers' side door, allowing Mako to pull away from the curb and find a parking spot. After driving for about a minute, he finally found a spot, about 400 meters from the entrance. As soon as he shut off the engine, he stepped out of the car. He then noticed a trio of girls in school uniforms standing behind his car. "Uh…can I help you?"

"Oh, my god! It's Mako!"

"You were right. He _is_ dreamy."

"And I've heard that he's got nice legs, too."

Mako simply chuckled embarrassedly at them. He was still wearing his sunglasses.

"Do you want us to come with you, Mako-chan?"

"Can I look at your legs, Mako-chan?"

"Can I meet your little brother sometime?"

_Man, I've got to get rid of them. I know!_ He then pointed in the opposite direction "Look, there's a squid over there that's 20 meters tall!" At that moment, all three girls turned around.

"What, 20 meters tall?!"

"That's a big squid!!"

"Where?! Where?!"

"Works every time," he said to himself. He then dashed over to the entrance, where Hiroto was standing. "And you worry about me." Hiroto simply chuckled as the two of them entered the Fun Center.

* * *

Man, these chapters are getting longer and longer!

Yes, Chihiro from "Azumanga Daioh" is Shizuka's little sister.

Please note that I have changed Kenichi's nickname spelling from "Kenny" to "Keni." I figured (with help from JBK2K1, thanks J!) that that particular spelling would have made more sense considering what his full first name is. I hope you got all that.

Now, "Chapter 13" was originally supposed to be a tour of Kazu's Warehouse home, but instead, I'm going to put the tour in another story, one I hope to have up as soon as possible.

Here's what to expect in Chapter 15…

Chitose and company spend the day at the Kagawa Fun Center, and Chi finds out more about the Gokjaou Brothers as well as some other people he meets.

While Hikaru and Taky show the doctors the Ichimonji Ranch, Mutsuki gets in trouble with some off-duty police officers during her day of fun with Satomi.

Kisaragi finally unites with her father, and we find out about what's in that treasure chest.

Susumu learns about Yayoi's unique situation.

Uzuki reunites with Suzuki, and we find out who, or what, knocked out Koushiro during the escape. But Tagawa is soon hot on their trail! What will happen next?

Tune in to find out. Same Happy time. Same Happy channel.


	15. For Fighting

Disclaimer: I do not own "Happy Lesson," its characters or concepts. They belong to Mutsumi Sasaki and KSS. Reader discretion is advised and certain celebrities have been impersonated. No celebrities were harmed in the creation of this story.

We are now at Chapter…XV. Let's just get going. (snaps fingers) Attack!

* * *

At the Akaishi cabin, Yayoi was crying into her pillow on her bed.

_Yayoi, you baka, you almost blew it!_ she thought to herself as she kept crying. She didn't notice her door opening, nor did she notice Susumu hopping into the room (he has a bad ankle, remember?)

"Yayoi?" She gasped and glanced towards the door, where Susumu was holding onto the door frame, keeping his right ankle elevated. "You okay, Yayoi?"

"I am now," Yayoi said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "How did you get over here, Susumu?"

"Easy. I hopped on over," Susumu said.

"Susumu…"

"I know, that was bad," Sumumu said, sweatdropping a little. "Say, do you think I could have those crutches now?"

"Sure," Yayoi said. She then stood up and opened the closet door. She then pulled out two crutches and handed them to Susumu.

"Thanks," Susumu said as he took the crutches and placed them under his arms.

"No problem," Yayoi said, blushing a little.

"Listen, Yayoi, about earlier, I…"

"You wanted to know about why I became a school nurse, right?" Yayoi asked.

"Yes," Susumu said. "I had no business asking you about your private life, and…" Yayoi simply put a finger to his mouth.

"Susumu…I should be the one apologizing," Yayoi said. "I guess I needed to tell someone sooner or later."

"Yayoi?"

"Susumu…I'm a mother," Yayoi said, blushing a little.

"WHAT?!"

After Susumu managed to calm down, which took almost ten whole minutes, Yayoi explained the whole story about Chitose Hitotose, how she became one of his mothers, and the other teacher-moms as well.

"So, you're telling me that you and four other teachers are the foster mothers of this Chitose Hitotose?" Susumu said, attempting to understand the situation.

"Not foster mothers, Susumu," Yayoi corrected him. "We're his real mothers." Susumu simply laughed at that. "WHAT?!"

"Yayoi…I don't buy that one damn bit," Susumu said.

"Susumu?"

"I know you're trying to help this kid, but Yayoi…honestly…there is no way in hell you or those other teachers could ever be this kid's mother," Susumu said. "And I'm sorry if that upsets you, but that's the honest-to-God truth." He then saw Yayoi starting to cry. "Yayoi?"

"You know what, you're right," Yayoi said, crying a little. "Because…I think I'm in love with him."

"NANI??"

* * *

Back in Takamatsu, the minivan carrying the Gokajous and one Chitose Hitotose was driving towards the Kagawa Fun Center.

"Hey, Chi."

"Yeah, Dai?"

"Remind me to take you across the Great Seto Bridge later this week, okay?" Daichi asked him.

"Okay."

"Hey, I need you to take me to the airport on Tuesday so I can fly back to Yokohama, okay?" Kazu asked his brother.

"Sure thing, _Aniki_," Dai said. He then pulled the van into a parking spot, parked the car, then turned off the engine. "Okay, we're here. Everybody out." Chitose, Daichi, Satsuki, and Kenichi all opened their doors and got out, while Kazu kept shaking Tommy because he had fallen asleep.

"Wake up, you bum!" Kazu said while shaking him. Once outside, Chitose stretched for a bit, getting some well-needed fresh air after being in a car with five people for nearly two hours.

"Hey, Chi, can you help us get some of these bags out of the back?" Keni asked him.

"Sure, Keni," Chitose said. Soon, everyone was walking toward the entrance, with Chitose carrying most of the bags. "I don't think I'll ever understand you boys."

"I'm related to them, and I don't understand them myself," Satsuki said.

"Ha-ha," Chitose said sarcastically. As soon as they entered the building, Chitose was in awe of what he was looking at: various men and women walking through the area, some carrying bags. There were signs directing people to the gymnasium, swimming pool, video arcade, restaurant, gift shop, exercise room, and dance studio. The sextet quickly made their way to the check-in desk, where a guy wearing headphones (listening to Hazuki Yazakura) and reading a magazine with Misaki Oshiro on the cover.

"Ahem," Kazu cleared his throat. "Ahem." The guy noticed the six, and set down his magazine.

"Yeah, what do you want?" he said. He then noticed who he was talking to and put his headphones around his neck. "Kazu! Daichi! Keni! Tommy! Good to see you guys again!"

"Hey, Takeshi," Kazu greeted him. "We're here for the usual."

"Uh-huh," Takeshi said. He then noticed Satsuki. "Who are you?"

"What do you mean, who am I?" Satsuki angrily asked.

"Just ignore him, sis," Keni said. "Come on, man! You know Satsuki! We told you about her at least 47 times!"

"Oh, yeah! I remember now!" Takeshi said. "Satsuki, right?"

"Yes…" She gave Takeshi an evil glare.

"Mako wanted you to meet him in the gymnasium as soon as you got here," he explained.

"Thanks," Satsuki said. "I'll see you guys later."

"Okay, see ya, sis," Keni said.

"Bye, Saki-chan," Daichi said.

"Bye, Satsuki," Kazu said.

"Bye, _nee-chan_," Tommy said.

"Oh, I'll need this, Chitose," Satsuki said, taking one of the bags off of her "son's" shoulders.

"Thanks," Chitose said as Satsuki walked off.

"So, where's the old man?" Tommy asked.

"Probably checking out the girls at the dance studio again," Takeshi said.

"Really?" Chitose asked.

"Who the hell are you?" Takeshi asked.

"This is Chitose Hitotose," Keni said. "He's dating my twin."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Are you sure your father likes to flirt with other girls?" Chitose asked Kazu.

"Don't worry, Chitose," Kazu said. "After Mama-san died, he said that he'd never marry another woman as long as he lived."

"Right…"

"Well, I'm going to go over to the arcade," Kazu said as he took his bag from Chitose. "I'll see you guys in a bit." He then left the group.

"I'm going to the game room and challenge some people to some various games," Daichi said, taking his bag from Chitose.

"I'm going to go flirt with some of those students from Okayama," Tommy said.

"YOU are coming with ME," Daichi said, dragging Tommy by the ear.

"Ow! OW! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, MAN?!" Chitose just stared at the two of them.

"I'm going to go catch up on my reading," Keni said, taking his bag from Chitose. "See ya later, Chi."

"Yeah, see ya guys," Chitose said just before Keni headed off. He then saw Hiroto talking to a man in who appeared to be in his late 30s-early 40s.

"I couldn't believe they decided to give the tag team titles to you guys…especially since your partner couldn't last five seconds in my Torture Rack," Hiroto said.

"Well, the fans hated us, so I guess they thought we'd get more heat by having the belts…especially since we worked so well with the Can-Am Express," his friend said. "So, who's this friend you wanted me to meet?"

"He's right over there," Hiroto said, pointing to Chitose. "Hey, Chitose!"

"Hi, Mr. Gokajou," Chitose greeted the patriarch of the Gokajou family. He then noticed the man walking next to him. "Uh, who's he?"

"Chitose, I'd like you to meet Katsuro Tanaka," Hiroto said. "He's one of my former wrestling students, and he runs this place."

"Nice to meet you," Chitose said, shaking his hand.

"You forgot to mention that I'm a former two-time Ultimate Boxing World Tag Team Champion, and two-time Ultimate Boxing United States World Tag Team Champion," Katsuro Tanaka said.

"Right…"

"Tanaka…are you related to one of Mr. Gokajou's current students?" Chitose asked.

"Yes, he's my cousin," Tanaka said. "By the way, Giant, he's still in pain from that move you put him in yesterday."

"He's lucky," Hiroto said. "If I held him in that hold any longer, I would have put him in the hospital." This caused Chitose to become as pale as a ghost.

"Uh…you okay there?" Tanaka asked.

"He'll be fine," Hiroto said. "CHITOSE!" This caused Chitose to snap out of it.

"AAH!"

"Works every time," Hiroto said.

"If you can hear me, Chitose, how would you like a private tour given by yours truly?" Tanaka asked him.

"Sure," Chitose said, rubbing one of his ears. "First, I need this ringing to stop."

* * *

In the city of Kyoto, the Mitsubishi Challenger arrived at a warehouse-type building and parked beside it.

"We're here now," Toshi said. "Wake her up." Kanna was sleeping on Kisaragi's shoulder, napping somewhat peacefully. Kisaragi then tapped the cuffs with her rubber-gloved hands, causing quite a shock to one mad scientist.

"GAH!" Kanna said as she was being electrocuted. After the shocking stopped, Kanna was smoking all over. "Did you have to do that?"

"Yes," Kisaragi said. Kai had already gotten out of the car and gone to the back to open the liftgate to the truck.

"Need a little help back here," Kai said.

"I'll come and help you, Kai," Kisaragi said, removing the handcuffs from her hand and placing the other cuff on Kanna's free hand. "Don't move." She warned Kanna before exiting the vehicle and helping Kai and Toshi get the treasure chest out of the boot.

Soon, Kisaragi was knocking on the 'front door,' while keeping a close eye on Kanna. Kai and Toshi were holding the treasure chest.

"Kisa-chan, do you think your father could get here quickly?" Kai asked.

"Yeah, because our arms are starting to hurt," Toshi said.

"Your arms hurt? Really?" Kai said to his best male friend. After a couple more seconds, the 'front door' opened, and Hiroshi Ninomai, wearing a lab coat over a casual shirt and trousers, appeared behind it.

"Hello there, Kisa-chan," Hiroshi said to his daughter.

"Hi, daddy," Kisaragi said before kissing her father on the cheek. "Good to see you again."

"Likewise," Hiroshi said. He then noticed Kanna cowering behind Toshi. "Hello again, Kanna. You look well." Kanna just whimpered. "By the way, Kisaragi, I'm going to need those electric handcuffs back."

"YAY!" Kanna jumped up in excitement.

"Sure thing, daddy," Kisaragi said. "I'll give them to you once we get inside."

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Hiroshi said. "Come in! Come in! I'll show you where to take the chest, boys." Kai and Toshi then lifted the chest back up and carried it into the warehouse while Hiroshi guided them to wherever. Kisaragi had walked back up to Kanna and had already taken the handcuffs off of Kanna.

"Don't get too comfortable," Kisaragi said. This caused Kanna to moan in complaint.

"Right there, boys," Hiroshi said, pointing to an empty spot in his lab. Toshi and Kai then set the chest down there. After they set the chest down, both men sighed in relief. "Thanks again for helping me, Kaito."

"No problem," Kai said. At that moment, Kisaragi and Kanna entered the lab.

"Hi, guys," Kisaragi said.

"Hey, Kisa-chan," Kai said. "Say, Mr. Ninomai, can I talk to your daughter in private for a moment, please?"

"Sure thing, Kai," Hiroshi said. "Besides, I can probably open this chest by myself."

"Mm-hmm. Say, where's your bedroom?"

"Down the hall and to the right," Hiroshi said.

"Thanks," Kai said. "Let's go, Kisa-chan."

"See ya later, Daddy," Kisaragi said.

"I'll call you if I need you," Hiroshi said. He then turned to Toshi. "Who are you?"

In what appeared to be the 'master bedroom,' Kisaragi shut the door behind her.

"Okay, now where were we?" Kai asked.

"I was telling you about Chitose," Kisaragi said.

"Oh…THAT…" Kai said, somewhat disappointed. "So, it started last year, when…"

"When I noticed a student having some problems in my class," Kisaragi said. "I then decided to move in with him and become his mother."

"Kisaragi…did you just say what I thought you said?" Kai asked her.

"That I decided to become Chitose's mother?"

"Yes."

"Of course, I'm not really his mother," Kisaragi said. "But I do care for him like a mother would her son."

"Really…I was afraid that you were having an affair or something," Kai said.

"Kaito Yoshida, I would never do that to you!" Kisaragi said. "Even though we haven't been really together for nearly two years."

"I knew you wouldn't," Kai said. "And just for the record, I never even dated another woman while we were separated."

"I had a feeling that you wouldn't," Kisaragi said as she got closer to her boyfriend.

"There is never going to be another woman like you," Kai said.

"And I'll never find another man like you," Kisaragi said. Just as they were about to kiss…

"Kisaragi! I think you should come look at this!" Hiroshi called from down the hall.

"Coming, daddy!" Kisaragi said. She then turned to Kai, who looked upset. "We'll do this later."

"Later," Kai said. He then walked up to the door and opened it for her.

"Why, thank you, Kaito."

"You're welcome." Both then walked out of the bedroom and walked down the hall.

"You're not mad at me, are you?" Kisaragi asked.

"Mad? Of course not!" Kai said. "I would never be mad at you…except for that time you almost sliced off my genitalia during one of those experiments."

Back at the lab, Kisaragi, Kai, Hiroshi, and Toshi were looking inside the treasure chest, which had a whole lotta coins in it, of all types of precious metals.

"There's more gold in here than Fort Knox!" Toshi said.

"Don't exaggerate, Satoshi," Hiroshi said.

"It's not all gold, Toshi," Kai said. "I see some silver in there, and it looks like there's some platinum in there as well."

"I never paid attention in science class," Toshi said.

"If I know my weights and measurements correctly, I'd have to say there's over 47 billion yen in that chest…give or take a penny," Kai said.

"Take a good look at this coin," Hiroshi said as he handed a gold coin to Kai.

"Doesn't look like any coin I've ever seen before," Kai said as he examined it. "What am I looking for exactly?"

"Look closer. Does that design look familiar to you?"

"Well, now that you mention it, it kinda does," Kai said.

"What? What does it look like?" Toshi said.

"I'd rather not say."

"Come on, man! You can tell me!"

"Trust me…you do not want to know," Kai said.

"I could show you if you want," Kisaragi said.

"No, no, that won't be necessary," Hiroshi said. "The reason it probably looks familiar to Mr. Yoshida is because that design on the coin is the same as the birthmark seen on the lower part of Kisaragi's back…just right above her right buttock."

"You're right. I didn't want to know," Toshi said.

"Where the hell is Kanna?" Kai asked.

"She ran off when _this guy_…" Toshi said, pointing to Hiroshi, "tried to do one of his experiments on her." A girlish scream was then heard from down the hall.

"That must be Yoshi," Hiroshi said.

"Yoshi?" Toshi wondered.

"My wife," Hiroshi said. "Short for Yoshiko." Kanna then came running into the lab.

"There…there was this axe that was floating in mid-air!" Kanna said, panting a bit. "What was that all about?!" Just then, the floating axe entered the room, which caused Kanna to scream and hide behind Toshi.

"Why do you have to hide behind _me_?" Toshi asked.

"Hello, dear," Hiroshi said to the axe. At that moment, the head of Yoshiko Ninomai appeared seemingly from out of nowhere.

"Hi, Hiroshi," Yoshiko said.

"What…what is that, Mrs. Ninomai?" Kai asked.

"Cloak of Invisibility, Version 1.0," Yoshiko said. She then 'took off' the rest of the cloak, and tossed 'it' to the side. She was wearing a black leather jumpsuit.

"So, does it work?" Hiroshi asked.

"Absolutely," Yoshiko said. "They never saw me."

"Who never saw you, mama?" Kisaragi asked.

"I'll explain later," Yoshiko said. She then noticed the opened treasure chest. "What's that, dear?"

"It's the treasure chest that our daughter found yesterday," Hiroshi said, causing Kisaragi to blush a little. "Mr. Yoshida and Mr. Miyamoto helped bring it here."

"I see," Yoshiko said. "Nice to see you again, Kaito. Thank you very much, Mr. Miyamoto."

"You're welcome," both Kai and Toshi said.

"There's more," Hiroshi said. "I believe this treasure chest probably came from the same place where Kisaragi is originally from."

"You really think so?" Yoshiko asked.

"I really do," Hiroshi said. "Kai, hand her the coin"

"Sure thing, Mr. Ninomai," Kai said. He then walked up to Mrs. Ninomai and handed her the coin.

"That looks just like Kisaragi's birthmark," Yoshiko said. "You know, the one that she has right on her…" This caused Kanna to faint. "What's her problem?"

"She must know about the you know what on her you know where," Toshi whispered to Kai. Kai simply nodded.

"So you're saying…that this chest probably came from my true homeworld?" Kisaragi asked her father.

"That's my theory," Hiroshi said. "Then again, I could be wrong."

"I see," Kisaragi said. She then turned to her mother. "By the way, mom, who was you said never saw you earlier?"

"Well…"

(flashback; told in Yoshiko's point-of-view)

_I witnessed Mr. Takashi Suzuki being knocked out by those brutes that work for Tagawa. I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to give that new Invisibility Cloak I was working on a test, so I used it. I followed them to this warehouse just outside of the city, where they stripped him naked and tied him to a chair. They also tortured him for quite a few hours. I waited until everyone was gone to make my move, but before I could do anything, two masked figured entered the room. I thought they were there to torture Mr. Suzuki some more, but it turns out they were friends of his trying to rescue him. However, before they could get out, they were cornered by a machine-gun-toting maniac. Realizing the situation, I did what I had to do…knock him out._

(end flashback)

"Ah…" the others said.

"Cool invention," Toshi said. "Can I have one of those?"

"What, so you can spy on the girls in the changing rooms?" Kai asked his best male buddy. Toshi simply chuckled nervously.

"I just found out something about you that I probably didn't need to know either," Kisaragi said to Toshi. Toshi was still chuckling nervously, sweatdropping a bit. She then turned to her parents. "Can I call Uzuki and check up on her?"

"Kisa-chan, you're a full grown adult," Hiroshi said. "You don't need to ask your parents for every simple thing.

"Just checking, daddy," Kisaragi said before dialing her cell phone.

* * *

Uzuki was laying down on Suzuki's bed in the Hideout. Her hair had been let down out of its ponytails, which was a rare sight for her nowadays, as she rarely let her hair down. She was basically staring at the ceiling until someone knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Uzuki asked. At that moment, Yumiko entered the bedroom. "No!" Uzuki then stood up. "No, when I ask 'Who is it,' that doesn't mean for you to come in! Now, I want you to go back outside, knock on the door, and when I say 'Who is it,' you say who it is. Okay?"

"Okay," Yumiko said before going back outside and shutting the door behind her. She then knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Uzuki asked.

"Who it is!" Yumiko said from the other side.

"Very funny," Uzuki said in a somewhat serious tone. Yumiko then entered the room. "What is it, Yumiko?"

"Natsuko and Mizuki are almost here," Yumiko said.

"That's a relief," Uzuki said, getting up.

"Yeah…" Yumiko said, somewhat uneasily.

"Can I have a minute alone, please?" Uzuki asked her.

"Certainly," Yumiko said, before heading out of the room and shutting the door behind her. Uzuki then laid back down on the bed again. She napped for about 10 minutes before she heard a scream coming from outside the bedroom. Gasping, she immediately stood up and ran out of the room into the main room. She saw Yumiko and Shizuka cowering in the corner.

"Shizuka? Yumi-chan? What's going on over here?" Uzuki asked. She then gasped as she a machine guns on her back. She didn't even bother to turn around, but behind her was a masked figure that looked like some of Tagawa's masked soldiers.

"Stay right where you are," he said.

"Where are Natsuko and Mizuki?" Uzuki asked nervously.

"We killed them," a second masked figure said.

"Right after they called you about ten minutes ago," a third masked figure said.

"Now…take off your clothes…both of you," the first masked figure said to Yumiko and Shizuka. The two scared girls in the corner, realizing that the two other masked figures were pointing their machine guns at them, began to comply. Yumiko was unzipping the front of her hoody when all three sudden lowered their weapons. "Just kidding." Uzuki then turned around and faced her 'captor.'

"Who…who are you?!" she asked nervously.

"Come on, sister," the guy said, removing his mask and revealing himself to be Takashi Suzuki. "Did you honestly expect me to make a normal entrance?"

"S…Suzuki?" Uzuki started to get all teary-eyed.

"The one and only," he said.

"Oh…YOU!" Uzuki then tackled her 'brother from another mother,' and they started playfully hitting him. Suzuki made no attempt to fight back, and actually seem to enjoy getting beaten up by his 'sister.'

"Wait a minute…" Yumiko said, causing Uzuki and Suzuki to stop their 'fun.' "If you're here, then just where _are_ Natsuko and Mizuki?"

"Right in this room," Suzuki said.

"Huh?" Shizuka said. At that moment, the masked figure who was aiming at Shizuka removed the mask, revealing herself to be Natsuko Watanabe. Then, the masked figure who was aiming at Yumiko removed the mask, revealing herself to me Mizuki Takahashi.

"Then," Uzuki said, "the quick stop you had to make before coming here was…"

"Rescuing our rainbow-haired leader," Natsuko said.

"Then…you mean?" Uzuki started to say.

"We're rejoining the Cosplay Group," Mizuki said.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Shizuka said.

"You're seriously coming back?" Yumiko asked.

"Of course we are!" Natsuko said. "Besides, it just isn't the Cosplay Group without two of the original brethren."

"Oh, _right_," Shizuka said, rolling her eyes a little.

"I can't believe it's really you," Uzuki said, crying a little.

"I'm here, Uzuki," Suzuki said. "And I promise never to leave your side again."

"Well, about that, you see…" Uzuki was about to say something, but she heard a cell phone ringing from inside the master bedroom. "Could you hold on just a minute?" She then got up and ran back into the master bedroom.

"They're…coming back to the Cosplay Group?" Shizuka said.

"I believe they said that already, Inoue," Suzuki said. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"I always have a problem with Watanabe, Boss," Shizuka said.

In the bedroom, Uzuki was on the phone with Kisaragi.

"Yeah, he's here, Kisaragi," Uzuki said. "He just arrived a minute ago. You wouldn't believe how he made his entrance."

"I can try," Kisaragi said. "Listen, even though Suzuki's back with the other Cosplayers, you're not out of the woods yet." Uzuki had a worried look on her face. "I have a feeling that your stepfather will still be coming after you. That's why he kidnapped Suzuki. He's looking for _you_, Uzuki."

"Then what do we do?" Uzuki asked seriously.

"We'll be coming over to your hideout in my parents' portable laboratory," Kisaragi explained.

"Portable laboratory?"

"It's basically a modified recreational vehicle," Kisaragi said. "We're in it right now. We should be at your hideout in about…ten minutes."

"Okay," Uzuki said. "I'll tell everyone that we'll be leaving Kyoto. This is turning out to be one hell of a vacation, isn't it?"

"Yes…it is," Kisaragi said, looking Kaito right in the eyes.

"Well, I'll see you when you get here, Kisaragi," Uzuki said. However, Kisaragi didn't answer, as she was gazing into the eyes of her boyfriend. "Kisaragi?" Kisaragi simply dropped her phone and the two lovebirds started making out. Back at the hideout, Uzuki simply hung up the phone. "What is wrong with that girl?" At that moment, her cell phone rang again, so she answered it. "Hello?"

"Is this Uzuki Shitennou?" the person on the other end asked.

"Yes," Uzuki said nervously. "Who is this?"

"This is Yoshiko Ninomai," the woman on the other side said. "I'm Kisaragi's mother."

"Kisaragi's…mother?" Uzuki said with a somewhat surprised look on her face.

"I'm sorry that my daughter cut you off like that," Yoshiko said, glancing at the two lovebirds that were still making out. (Don't worry, they still had their clothes on.) "Anyways, I'd like you to tell the Cosplay Group that…"

A few minutes later, Uzuki came out of the master bedroom, now dressed in casual clothes, with her hair tied in her usual twin ponytails.

"So, what was that all about?" Yumiko asked.

"Well…let's say a bus, will be picking us up in about five minutes, so we need to get packing," Uzuki said.

"Packing?" Shizuka said. "Why the hell do we need to pack?"

"It's because Kisaragi wants us to get out of town as quickly as possible," Uzuki said.

"Kisaragi?" Mizuki was a little confused.

"Who the hell is she?" Natsuko asked.

"I thought I told you girls about her last night," Uzuki said. "As well as everyone else."

"Oh, yeah, now I remember," Mizuki said.

"Who was she again?" Natsuko asked.

"The mad scientist," Mizuki said. Uzuki then glared at her. "Uh…the chemistry teacher." Uzuki then smiled.

Five minutes later, everyone was packed and waiting in the alleyway outside of the hideout.

"When are they going to get here?" Yumiko asked, looking at her watch.

"They should be here any minute," Uzuki said. "So, just relax."

"Relax?" Shizuka said. "I have never been more relaxed in my life. If I was any more relaxed, I'd be dead!" Everyone gave her a weird look.

"I'm not convinced," Mizuki said.

"Neither am I," Natsuko said. Uzuki then walked over to Suzuki, who was just standing there.

"Hey," Uzuki said.

"Hey," Suzuki said.

"I really thought I had lost you," Uzuki said.

"You're never going to lose me, Uzuki," Suzuki said. "That's a promise."

"I know," Uzuki said. "It's just…"

"You're thinking about your mother, aren't you?" Suzuki asked.

"Yeah," Uzuki said. "And Chitose."

"Chitose?"

"Yeah," Uzuki said. "I just really wish he could have met her." She then sighed. "Takashi…I really want you to meet him someday."

"You want me to meet Chitose?" Suzuki asked.

"Mm-hmm," Uzuki nodded. "I want him to know what a special person you are…and not just because of your various Cosplaying skills…but because you're an incredible human being."

"Uzuki, stop," Suzuki said. "You're embarrassing me."

"Really?"

"Yes," Suzuki said.

"Well, there's a first time for everything," Uzuki said. Both of them then laughed at that. Just then, a black and gray RV showed up next to the warehouse. The side door then opened, revealing Kisaragi peeking through the door. She was wearing sunglasses.

"Get in…quickly," she said.

"Is that Kisaragi?" Shizuka whispered to Yumiko.

"How should I know?" Yumiko replied.

"That is Kisaragi, guys," Mizuki said. "Uzuki told us about you." She then noticed that Kisaragi was gone. "Uh…where'd she go?"

"She probably went to take a leak," Natsuko said.

"Ladies…just get in the damn car," Uzuki said.

"Are you sure it's safe for us to…" Yumiko started to say.

"GET IN THE GODDAMN CAR!!" Suzuki shouted.

"Shh! Not so loud!" Uzuki whispered.

"Sorry," Suzuki whispered.

And with that, all six people went into the RV. Once inside, the Cosplayers noticed something very peculiar about it.

"How weird," Mizuki said.

"It looks bigger inside than it does outside," Natsuko said.

"That's because my father used bright colors to make it look bigger." Everyone turned around and noticed Kisaragi standing at the door. "Hello there."

"Hi, Kisaragi," Uzuki said. "Sorry if I interrupted your vacation."

"Don't worry about it," Kisaragi said. "May I ask who your friends are?"

"Oh, these are the members of the Cosplay Group," Uzuki said. "That's Natsuko Watanbe, watch out for her. Next to her is Mizuki Takahashi. That's Shizuka Inoue over there, DEFINITELY watch out for her. Over there is Yumiko Nakamura. And the man over there is…"

"Takashi Suzuki," Kisaragi said. "I've heard so much about you."

"Kisaragi Ninomai," Suzuki said. "Daughter of the famed Ninomai Science Team. Nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise," Kisaragi said. Just then, Kaito and Toshi entered the RV from the main entrance.

"I double-checked the hitch on the truck," Toshi said. "We're good to go."

"Yeah," Kai said. He then turned to Uzuki. "You must be Uzuki Shitennou."

"Why, yes, I am," Uzuki said. "Kisaragi, who are these men?"

"Well, the guy with the…hefty figure is Satoshi Miyamoto," Kisaragi said.

"Call me Toshi," Toshi said.

"And next to him is Kaito Yoshida, my boyfriend," Kisaragi said.

"BOYFRIEND?!" Uzuki screamed.

"Yes," Kisaragi said, nonchalantly. "He's my boyfriend. Shocked?"

"Yeah," Uzuki said. "I never expected you the type to have a boyfriend." At that moment, Yoshiko and Hiroshi Ninomai came out, with Yoshiko handcuffed to Kanna. "Hi, Kanna."

"Just kill me now," Kanna whined.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Ninomai," Uzuki greeted them. "I'm glad that you're able to help us."

"Anything for one of Kisaragi's friends," Hiroshi said. "I'm Hiroshi Ninomai. Over there is my wife, Yoshiko. And for those of you wondering, those are electric handcuffs she is wearing."

"ELECTRIC HANDCUFFS?" The female Cosplayers said.

"Yes," Yoshiko said. "Don't worry. I'm wearing rubber gloves so they won't electrocute me."

"Why can't I just die now?!" Kanna moaned.

"Don't be silly," Yoshiko said. "Besides, if you died, it just wouldn't be as fun without you." At that moment, a rumble sound was heard.

"What was that?" Natsuko asked.

"The portable laboratory is now in motion," Hiroshi said.

"Portable Laboratory?" Mizuki asked.

"Wait a minute…if you're all out here…who's driving the RV?" Yumiko said.

"Driving Robot, Version 3.1," Yoshiko said.

"Driving Robot?" Shizuka said.

"Don't worry about it," Kisaragi said. "We've worked out all the bugs. So…what do we do now?"

As soon as the RV had driven off, towing the Mitsubishi Challenger behind it, a black 2002 Toyota Camry was seen in the alleyway.

"They've left," the driver said.

"Should we follow them?" the guy in the passenger's seat said.

"Of course," the driver said. "Those were our orders, Koji."

"I know, Norio," the passenger, Koji, said. "Let's get ready to rumble." Norio, the driver, then started the car and drove off, following the Portable Lab.

* * *

It was lunchtime over in Tokyo, and Hazuki, Minazuki, and Fumitsuki were walking into the Gonzales Family Restaurant.

"Hazuki, _¡Buenas Tardes!_" Rafael greeted the pop star.

"Hi, Rafael," Hazuki said. "We're just here for lunch."

"_No problemo_, _señorita_," Rafael said. "I'll show you to your table, and Pablo will be along momentarily for your order."

"_Gracias_," Hazuki said. Soon, the girls were seated at their table, with Hazuki and Minazuki sitting next to each other, and Fumitsuki sitting across from Hazuki.

"Can I get you girls anything?" Rafael asked.

"No, thank you," Hazuki said.

"No thanks," Mina said.

"No," Fumitsuki said.

"Okay," Rafael said before he headed off.

"You know some Spanish, Hazuki?" Fumitsuki asked.

"I just know a few words," Hazuki said. "I was reading a book on Spanish words and phrases in the library the other day."

"Ah, I see," Fumitsuki said. At that moment, Pablo walked up to the table.

"_Buenas Tardes_," he said to the sisters. He then turned to Fumitsuki. "_¡Hola, mamacita!_"

"Go away," Fumitsuki said.

"What's wrong, _chica_?" Pablo asked. "You don't like Puerto Rican men? That's right, I'm Puerto Rican. Let's not have any more discussions about it."

"Just take our order and leave," Fumitsuki said.

"Mitsuki!" Hazuki said. "Just ignore her…Pablo." Everyone then gave their orders, with Fumitsuki not having any eye contact with the waiter.

"_Excelente_," Pablo said as he took the menus. Before he left, he whispered in Fumitsuki's ear. "How'd you like to come over to my place later tonight? My foster parents are out of town for the weekend."

"Pablo!" Rafael called out.

"Call me," Pablo said, handing her a piece of paper. "My phone number is on there." He then left the table.

"Do you know the word for 'idiot' in Spanish, Hazuki?" Fumitsuki asked.

"Unfortunately, I don't," Hazuki admitted.

"Speaking of Spanish, I should talk to Rafael before we leave," Mina said. "Find out what would be a good time for me to come over to his place."

"Do you have a crush on him, Mina?" Hazuki asked her sister.

"Of course not!" Mina yelled, blushing heavily. "It's for the Spanish lessons, remember?"

"Oh, yeah! You told him that you wanted to learn Spanish a few days ago," Hazuki said. "I can't believe I forgot that." At that moment, Mike entered the restaurant. She had a real grizzled look on her face.

"_Buenas Tardes_, Mike," Rafael greeted her. He then noticed the look on her face. "You look like you drank quite a bit of tequila last night, Mike."

"Put a sock in it, Raul," Mike said.

"Rafael," the younger Gonzales brother corrected her.

"Oh, that's right," Mike said. "I get your two mixed up."

"I still can't believe that you get us mixed up," Rafael said. "I have semi-long hair, plus I wear glasses, but sometimes I do wear contacts. And Raul, he has shorter hair, plus he has a _bigote_, a mustache."

"Oh yeah, now I remember," Mike said. "Say, has a Minazuki Rokumatsuri arrived yet?"

"She's sitting right over there," Rafael said, pointing to the table where Fumitsuki, Hazuki, and Mina were sitting at. "Can I get you something? Maybe some ginger ale?"

"Fuck off," Mike said before heading over to the girls' table.

"Why do you want to learn Spanish so much, Minazuki?" Fumitsuki asked.

"Well, it's because Hazuki's going on a tour to North America, and one of the stops we're going to is Mexico City," Mina explained.

"Now, hold on, Mina! I haven't decided whether or not to do it yet," Hazuki said.

"Well, I hope you decide to take it, Hazuki!" Mina said. "This may be a once in a lifetime opportunity for you."

"Hmm…I don't know," Hazuki said.

"What do you think, Fumitsuki?" Mina asked. Fumitsuki had a somewhat shocked look on her face. "Fumitsuki?" Fumtisuki simply pointed in front of her, and the sisters turned around to find Mike standing behind them.

"Hello, girls," Mike said.

"Mike!" Mina said. "Good to see you again."

"Oh, good God, no," Fumitsuki said.

"You're that girl we met the other day," Hazuki said.

"Yeah," Mike said. "Mind if sit down?"

"Yes," Fumitsuki said.

"Not at all," Mina said.

"Sure, why not," Hazuki said. "Sit right next to Mitsuki."

"HAZUKI!"

"I take it that's Mitsuki over there," Mike said, pointing to Fumitsuki.

"Mm-hmm," Hazuki said. Mike then sat down right next to Fumitsuki, much to her chagrin. "Now that I think about it, you two haven't really been properly introduced to each other."

"You know what, you're right," Mike said. She then turned to Fumitsuki. "I'm Michiru Akiyama, but everyone calls me Mike. What's your name?" Fumitsuki had completely turned white. "Hello?" Mike was having her hand in front of her face.

"Oh, that's Fumitsuki Nanakorobi," Mina said. "She's the class president at Koyomi High School, but she's currently suspended because she threw two of her fellow classmates out of a second story window."

"Mina…" Hazuki said.

"It's all right," Mike said. "I like to hear embarrassing stories…as long as they're not about me." She then glanced at Fumitsuki again, who was still completely pale. "I take it something else embarrassing happened to her recently."

"Well…" Mina said, blushing a little. At that moment, Pablo came up to the table, carrying their lunches on a tray.

"_Aquí están sus almuerzos_, _chicas,_" he said.

"_Gracias, Pablo_," Hazuki said. She had the largest meal, bigger than Fumitsuki's and Minazuki's combined, twice over.

"Are you honestly going to eat all that?" Mike asked her.

"Yes," Hazuki said.

"You'd be surprised how much Hazuki can eat," Minazuki said.

"You want anything, _amiga_?" Pablo asked Mike.

"Just a Mexican Sushi," Mike said. "And a Cherry 7 Up."

"We don't have Cherry 7 Up," Pablo said. "We don't even have regular 7 Up."

"Well, get me something without caffeine that's cherry-flavored, okay?" Mike said.

"I'll be right back," Pablo said. He then left the girls to the table.

"Well, then…shall we?" Hazuki said.

"_Itadakimasu_," both sisters said before they started eating.

"Sorry if we're eating in front of you, Mike," Mina said between gulps.

"I don't mind," Mike said. She then noticed Hazuki's plate, which was completely empty. "Whoa, are you done already?!"

"Yeah, and I'm still hungry," Hazuki said. She then looked at Fumitsuki, who still hadn't touched her food, and who still had a gazed look on her face. "If you're not going to eat that, Mitsuki, I'll just have a bite of it." As she was about to grab a bite of the food, Fumitsuki suddenly grabbed Hazuki's hand.

"If you _ever_ touch my food, I will break your arm," Fumitsuki said, glaring at the pop star. "Got it?"

"Got it," Hazuki said, sweating a little.

"Glad to see you're finally awake," Mike said to Fumitsuki.

"You're still here?!" Fumitsuki said.

"Yes, I'm still here," Mike said. "So, what are you guys doing?"

"Since we're having the doorknob to the bathroom door repaired…" Hazuki said, as Fumitsuki blushed a little, "We've decided to explore the city today."

"Ah, I see," Mike said. "Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all," Hazuki said.

"HAZUKI!" Fumitsuki said.

"Relax, Mitsuki," Hazuki said. "Besides, I want to get to know this girl a little better."

"Thanks," Mike said. At that moment, Pablo came up to the table carrying a tray with a Mexican sushi and a glass of…something.

"Here you go, _señorita_," Pablo said. Mike took a look at the mysterious liquid, which was brownish-colored.

"What the hell is this?" Mike asked.

"It's decaffeinated, it's cherry-flavored. Just drink it," Pablo said.

"It's coffee, isn't it?" Mike said. "Pablo, you know damn well that I don't drink coffee."

"Just drink it, okay?" Pablo said. "Is everyone else enjoying their meal?"

"Yes," Mina said.

"Yeah," Hazuki said.

"Sure," Fumitsuki said.

"So, have you thought about my offer, _mamacita_?" Pablo asked Fumitsuki.

"Take a hike, you…you…" Fumitsuki said.

"Hey, I was just asking," Pablo said. He then turned to the sisters. "Your friends here needs to take a chill pill."

"_¡Consiga el jode fuera de aquí, imbécil!_" Mike said to Pablo. Pablo simply humphed before leaving the table.

"Uh…what did you just say to him, Mike?" Mina asked.

"I shouldn't repeat it," Mike said.

"So, how much Spanish do you know, Mike?" Hazuki asked.

"Mostly expletives, but quite a bit," Mike replied. The other girls just stared at her in shock. "What?!"

* * *

"So when did this place open?" Chitose asked his tour guide.

"April 10, 1988," Tanaka said. "The exact same day as the Great Seto Bridge. I bought it just this past year."

"Ah, I see," Chitose said. "So, where are we going to first?"

"The gymnasium," Tanaka said. "I have a feeling that Satsuki and Mako are going to start their little ritual."

"Ritual?"

Over in the gymnasium, Mako was doing a kata on a gym mat when Satsuki came out of the women's changing room. She was wearing a red and white tank top, black spandex shorts, and dance shoes. He, on the other hand, was wearing a dark blue tank top, black long wrestling tights, and dance shoes as well.

"Took you long enough," Mako said.

"Well, those damn high school girls were asking me about your legs again," Satsuki said.

"Man, those girls just won't leave me alone," Mako said. He then turned to his sister. "Shall we?"

"Let's," Satsuki said. She then walked over to a nearby boom-box and inserted a cassette tape into it. (Yes, this is one of those older style boom-boxes.) She pressed the play button then quickly dashed back to Makoto. As soon as the music started playing, they started dancing. By the time Mako and Satsuki had finished dancing, Chitose and Tanaka had arrived at the gymnasium. Chitose had a look of shock on his face while Tanaka was applauding.

"Bravo. Bravo," he said. Satsuki immediately gasped and faced them.

"How much did you see?" Satsuki asked.

"Just the last part," Tanaka replied. "Haven't seen you in quite a while, Satsuki."

"Uh…Tanaka, right?" Satsuki said.

"Yep," Tanaka said.

"Uh, how do you two know each other?" Chitose asked him.

"I was at Kazu's wedding," Tanaka said. "But we've known each other longer than that. Remember, I was one of Hiroto-sensei's students."

"Oh, yeah," Chitose said.

"Hey, Katsuro!" Mako said, giving Tanaka a forearm bash.

"Hi, Mako," Tanaka said. "I'm just showing Chitose around the place. By the way, is it true that you're dating Satsuki, Chitose?" Satsuki immediately blushed at that.

"Yeah," Chitose said.

"Even though she's ten years older than you, and she's your teacher?" Tanaka asked.

"Yeah," Chitose said. "But don't worry, she doesn't show any favoritism towards me."

"Right…" Tanaka said, not really convinced. "I didn't realize you were dating high school students, Saki-chan." At that moment, Satsuki grabbed him by the throat.

"ONLY MY FAMILY MEMBERS CAN CALL ME THAT," Satsuki said, glaring evilly. "GOT IT?!"

"Got it," Tanaka said, struggling to breathe. At that point, Satuski let him go, and Tanaka tried to catch his breath..

"Satsuki, don't take this the wrong way, but you can be dangerous," Chitose said.

"I'll take that as a compliment, Chitose," Satsuki said.

"You sure you okay, man?" Mako asked.

"I'll be fine, Makoto," Tanaka said, regaining his balance. "Don't worry about me."

"Mm-hmm," Mako said. "Say, Chitose, you want to see me demonstrate some martial arts moves on my sister?"

"Maybe later," Chitose said. "I'd like to see more of the Fun Center, actually…if Mr. Tanaka's recovered enough."

"I told you, I'm fine, man," Tanaka said. "I just forgot how strong Satsuki's hands were."

"It's your loss," Mako said, removing his dance shoes.

"See you later, Chitose," Satsuki said, who was also removing her dance shoes.

"See you, Satsuki," Chitose said just before he and Tanaka walked off.

"What, you guys haven't kissed yet?" Tanaka asked.

"We're…getting there," Chitose said, sweatdropping a little.

While Satsuki and Mako were setting up, a couple of high schoolers (two of the Okayamans we saw earlier) walked over to the siblings.

"Hey, Mako-chan!" one of the students said.

"Oh, no! Not again!" Mako said to himself.

"Can we see you legs now, PLEASE?!" the other student asked.

"You know what, you guys haven't been properly introduced to my sister, Satsuki," Mako said. "Nee-san?" Satsuki then cracked her knuckles.

As Chitose and Tanaka were walking, some girlish screams could be heard from down the hall.

"Uh…what was that, Mr. Tanaka?" Chitose asked him.

"Never mind about that," Tanaka said. "How about I show you the swimming pool now?"

"Sure, but I didn't bring my swimsuit with me," Chitose said.

"Relax. We're not going for a swim," Tanaka said.

Over at the swimming pool, several people were enjoying the open swim. At the nearby bleachers, some people were reading various material, including one Kenichi Gokajou, who was wearing reading glasses while reading one of his James Bond novels.

"And over here is the swimming pool," Tanaka said to Chitose.

"Ah," Chitose said. "It looks like a pool you'd find at the Olympics."

"Indeed," Tanaka said. "The design of the pool was based on the one at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium, where they held swimming for the '64 Summer Olympics."

"I see," Chitose said. He then noticed a familiar face in the bleachers. "Hey, Keni!"

"Oh, hey, Chitose! Tanaka!" Keni called out. Chitose and Tanaka then walked up to him.

"I thought you were going to catch up on your reading," Chitose said.

"I am," Keni said, while putting a bookmark in his book before shutting it. "Reading over by the swimming pool or the beach helps me relax."

"But why?" Chitose asked.

"Chitose, you should know why I read by the pool," Keni said. "I mean, come on! Who was born three minutes before me?"

"Satsuki, but what does that have to do with anything?" Chitose asked.

"Chitose…" Keni said.

"If you can't figure it out, Hitotose, I'll spell it out for you," Tanaka said. "Since Satsuki enjoys swimming so much, and since Kenichi here isn't exactly Mark Spitz…"

"I see what you mean now," Chitose said. "Obviously, you both enjoy the water very much."

"Yep," Keni said. At that moment, a young man, slightly older than Chitose, walked up to Keni. "Can I help you?"

"I heard you were a James Bond fan," the guy said.

"Yes, I am," Keni said. "I even went on what I call the '007 World Tour' some time back."

"Really?"

"Yes," Keni said. "You know what…I don't really buy that you're a James Bond fan. I'm going to test you. "What gun does Bond always carry with him?"

"That would be the Walther PPK, until the movie _Tomorrow Never Dies_ when he receives a P99," the guy said.

"Nice," Keni said. "What movie was the only one in which James Bond gets married?"

"On Her Majesty's Secret Service, 1969. He got married to Diana Rigg," the 'fan' said.

"Even included the year and the actress, interesting," Keni said. "What do you know about Christopher Lee?"

"Well, he was in the 'Lord of the Rings' movie…"

"Mm-hmm."

"We did the Hammer Horror films…"

"Mm-hmm."

"He was the original 'M'…"

"WRONG!!" Keni said, surprising Chitose. "That's BERNARD Lee. And you call yourself a James Bond fan?"

"Y-you're right! I know nothing!" the fan said, before bowing to Kenichi. "I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy!"

"Get him out of my sight," Keni said to Tanaka, who promptly removed the fan from Keni's presence. "There's something you should know, Chitose. If you want to be a James Bond fan of my caliber, you need to know virtually everything when it comes to the James Bond franchise."

"I'll try to remember that," Chitose said. "Say, what exactly are you reading, Keni?"

"It's a James Bond novel," Keni said as he handed it to Chitose.

"From Russia With Love," Chitose read the title.

"It's said to be the best James Bond book of all time," Keni said. "You want to know something interesting? When an American magazine did an article on then-United States President John F. Kennedy in 1961, it included a list of his ten favorite books. From Russia With Love was not just the only work of fiction to make the list, it boosted the sales of the James Bond novels _and_ was a key moment in the 007 films being made."

"Wow," Chitose said.

"You want to read it?" Keni said.

"Uh…maybe another time,"

"If you want to get into the James Bond novels, you have to start at the beginning with 'Casino Royale'," Keni said. "It's the only James Bond novel that hasn't been made into an official movie…yet."

"What do you mean by an official movie?" Chitose asked.

"The 'official' James Bond movies were the ones produced by Albert R. Broccoli's EON Productions," Keni explained. "The "unofficial' James Bond films include the original 1954 television adaptation of 'Casino Royale,' the 1967 spy-spoof also called 'Casino Royale,' and the 1983 Sean Connery film 'Never Say Never Again.' Before you say anything, yes, Sean Connery was James Bond in the 'official' franchise."

"I wasn't asking, but thanks for the info," Chitose said.

"No problem," Keni said. At that moment, Tanaka walked up to Chitose and Keni. "Did you get rid of him, Tanaka?"

"Yes," Tanaka said. "He did promise that he'd brush up on his 007 knowledge before he crossed paths with you again."

"Good," Keni said. "Chi, can I have my book back please?"

"Oh, sure," Chitose said, handing the book back to Kenichi.

"We were actually going to continue with our tour," Tanaka said.

"I'll see you later, Keni," Chitose said.

"See you later, Chi," Keni said. And with that, Chitose and Tanaka left Keni to reading his novel, which he quickly got back to.

"Excuse me…" Keni looked up to see a high schooler with blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Yes?"

"Are you Kenichi Gokajou?" she asked.

"That's my name," Keni said. "Can I help you?"

"Can…can I have your autograph, please?" she asked, holding out an autograph book and a pen.

"Sure thing, miss," Keni said, setting his book down before taking the autograph book and pen. He then signed it, with his name in English on the top (Kenichi Gokajou), his name in Kanji below it (五箇条 健一), and his name in Hiragana below that (ごかじょう けんいち). "How's that?"

"_Arigato_," she said as Keni handed the book and marker pen back to her. She then walked off. Keni then put a piece of gum in his mouth before getting back to his novel.

Over in the game room, Tommy and Daichi were playing chess. Tommy moved a pawn two spaces forward.

"_Bakayarou!_," Daichi said, smacking his brother on the forehead. "You don't move pawns that way!"

"What's the point?" Tommy said as he moved his pawn back to his original position. "You're going to kick my ass anyway."

"That's because you were never good at this game, Tomoki," Daichi said.

"Whatever," Tommy said. He then moved his pawn forward one space.

"That's better," Daichi said. He then moved his knight to the pawn which Tommy had just moved. "Check."

"Check?" Tommy asked. "How is that a check?"

"Because my knight is in the position to capture your king," Daichi said. "Plus, all you have left is two pawns, a rook, and your lowly king."

"Can I just forfeit already?" Tommy asked.

"No," Daichi said.

"Damn you," Tommy said. It took him a couple of minutes, but he found a way to move his king out of check. "Deal with that." Daichi simply chuckled at that. "What?"

"Prepare to die," Daichi said as he moved his rook right next to Tommy's king. "Checkmate."

"I hate you," Tommy said. At that moment, Chitose and Tanaka entered the room.

"This is the game room," Tanaka said. "This is where we have various board games for people to play."

"I see," Chitose said. "Daichi said he'd be here, didn't he?"

"That's where he usually is when he comes here," Tanaka said. Over at one of the chess tables, Daichi was setting up the board for another match.

"Care to try your luck again?" Daichi asked.

"No way, bro," Tommy said. "I'm going to go flirt with some of the girls." He then stood up.

"There is a shinai in one of the storage closets," Daichi said. "I can grab it in five seconds and get back here in time to prevent you from leaving his room." Sighing, Tommy sat back down.

"Damn you," Tommy said. At that moment, Chitose and Tanaka walked up to them.

"Hey, guys," Chitose greeted them.

"Hey, Chi," Dai said. "Hey, Katsuro."

"Hello, Daichi. Tomoki." Tanaka greeted him.

"Hey," Tommy said grumpily.

"What's his problem?" Chitose asked.

"He's just upset because I beat him in chess…again," Daichi said. "Care to try your luck?"

"Sure," Chitose said. "I've played one or two games before."

"I'd be careful, Chitose," Tanaka said. "This guy here once beat Bobby Fischer, one of the greatest chess players of all time."

"Are you serious?" Chitose asked as Daichi was setting up the board. "You once beat Bobby Fischer?"

"Mm-hmm," Daichi said. "I didn't recognize him at first, and the thing is, he actually considered me a worthy opponent…even though I've never competed in a professional chess match in my life."

"Ah," Chitose said.

The match between Daichi and Chitose lasted nearly 45 minutes, and it ended with Chitose pulling off a move that Daichi never anticipated.

"I can't believe it," Daichi said. "It's a stalemate."

"Wow," Chitose said. "I thought I was going to get clobbered."

"You're pretty good, Hitotose," Daichi said. "I'd like a rematch some time."

"You got it," Chitose said, shaking his hand. At that moment, Kazu entered the game room.

"Hey, guys," Kazu said.

"Hi, Kazu," Tanaka said.

"Looks like there was a hell of a chess game going on here," Kazu said.

"There was," Daichi said. "I almost lost at certain points, but we ended up in a stalemale."

"I see," Kazu said. "Hey, Chi, the arcade's not to far from here, so why don't I show you that myself."

"Sure," Chitose said. "If you guys will excuse me."

"Of course," Daichi said.

"I'll come with you, Chitose," Tanaka said.

"So will I," Tommy said.

"Fine," Daichi said. "There's got to be someone that's willing to take on the great Daichi Gokajou." As soon as Chitose and company left, a man in his mid-60s entered the game room and walked up to the chess table.

"Mind if I play, sir?" the man asked.

"Not at all," Daichi said. The man then sat down in the chair across from him. "I'm Daichi Gokajou," he said while shaking the man's hand. "You look a bit familiar. Could I have your name, please?"

"Spassky," the man said. "Boris Spassky."

Meanwhile, Chitose and company entered the video arcade.

"This is the video arcade," Kazu said. "You guys go ahead and try out some of the games. Katsuro and I need to chat for a bit."

"Sure thing, Kazu," Chitose said.

"Come on, Chi," Tommy said. "I need to take out my aggression on some alien critters." And with that, the two of them went to the machines.

"So, what did you want to talk about, Kaz?" Tanaka asked him.

"I finally got that Zoo Keeper machine, Katsu," Kazu said.

"Really?"

Over at the machines, Tommy was aggressively playing Galaxian.

"DIE, you stupid multi-colored buggers!" Tommy screamed. Unfortunately, he got destroyed, again, and ended up with only 470 points.

"Man…you're pathetic," Chitose said.

"I'm in a bad mood, Hitotose," Tommy said. "Don't fuck with me."

"Sorry," Chitose said. "Hey, can I play that when you're done?"

"Go play something else, Chitose," Tommy said. "I'm going to be on here for a while."

"Okay," Chitose said. He then walked over to Kazu and Tanaka, who were still conversing with each other.

"I see," Tanaka said. "Then again, Satsuki hasn't been too comfortable coming back here ever since Mrs. Gokajou…"

"Yeah," Kazu said. "I mean, we were all hit hard when mama-san…"

"Uh, excuse me," Chitose said.

"Yeah, Chitose?"

"Sorry if I'm interrupting anything," Chitose said.

"Don't be," Kazu said. "I was actually just finishing talking to Mr. Tanaka."

"Ah, I see," Chitose said.

"I think we should continue with our tour now, Chitose," Tanaka said.

"Actually, I'm going to stay here for a while," Chitose said. "If that's okay with you, Kazu."

"That's fine with me," Kazu said. "Don't worry, Tanaka. I'll show him the rest of the place."

"Okay," Tanaka said. "I'll see you guys later, then."

"See ya, Katsuro," Kazu said.

"See ya, Mr. Tanaka," Chitose said. And with that, Tanaka left the arcade when two more high schoolers entered.

"Oh, excuse me," Tanaka said to the girls. The girls then passed Kazu and Chitose.

"Oh, no," Kazu said.

"What's wrong?" Chitose asked.

"I can assure you that one of those girls has slept with Tommy," Kazu said.

"Which one?" Chitose asked.

"I'll tell you in a minute," Kazu said as he noticed Tommy losing all of his ships in Galaxian…again. This time, he only got 120 points.

"DAMMIT!" Tommy screamed. "They changed the difficulty setting again! One of these days I'm going to kill those assholes!"

"Are you sure that's him?" the taller of the two girls asked her friend. The taller girl had brown hair and green eyes, while the other one had long black hair and brownish-purple eyes.

"Yep, that's him," the other girl replied. "He's usually much calmer than this." She then tapped Tommy on the shoulder. "Tommy?"

"WHAT?!" Tommy turned around and faced the girls, who had frightened looks on their faces. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't realize it was you, Rei-chan."

"It's alright," Rei, the shorter of the two girls, said. "You're obviously stressed out."

"Yeah," Tommy said. "I could use one of your massages right now."

"Please sit down," Rei said, gesturing towards one of the chairs by the cocktail tables. Tommy then walked over to the chair and sat in it. Rei then knelt down and starting massaging his shoulders.

"So…who's your friend over there?" Tommy asked.

"I'm Lita," she said. "At least, that's what everyone calls me. My real name is Makoto."

"Makoto," Tommy said. "That's my brother's name."

"No way," Lita said. "I thought Makoto was a girl's name."

"It can be a guy's name, too," Tommy said. "Oh, that's the spot, Rei. That's the spot right there." At that moment, Kazu and Chitose had walked over to them.

"I take it that's your girlfriend, Tommy," Chitose said.

"One of them," Tommy said. "I've had so many girlfriends I've lost count."

"If I remember correctly, I believe the father of this girlfriend said that he would slice off your genitalia with a katana if he ever caught the two of you in bed together again," Kazu said. Chitose immediately paled at that.

"Ah, he was bluffing," Tommy said.

"I don't know, Tommy," Rei said. "My dad is very serious when it comes to protecting me. I really think he should lighten up a bit."

"Yeah," Tommy said. "That's enough, Rei. Thanks."

"No problem," Rei said as she removed her hands from Tommy's shoulders.

"I feel a lot calmer now," Tommy said. "I'm going to go play some more video games. You girls want to join me?"

"If it's a fighting game, leave me out of it," Rei said.

"What game did you want to play, Tommy?" Lita asked.

"Street Fighter," Tommy said.

"Pass," Rei said.

"I'll play with you, Tommy,"

"R…really?"

"Yeah," Lita said. "I really like those fighting games."

"I still got it, Hitotose," Tommy said to Chitose before he and Lita went over to the Street Fighter machine.

"I'll go play something else," Chitose said.

"Want to play Mario Bros., Chi?" Kazu asked him.

"Mario Brothers?"

"Yeah, the original," Kazu said. "If you want to play with me, though, you'll have to be Luigi."

"Why?" Chitose asked.

"Because the younger player has to play Luigi," Kazu said. "Gokajou Family Rule."

"And because of that rule, Kazu always plays as Mario," Rei said. "Tommy told me all about it."

"Oh…" Chitose said.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Portable Laboratory was moving right along. Inside, Suzuki, who had been stripped to the skin (again), was being examined by Yoshiko Ninomai.

"Tell me why I have to go through this torture," Suzuki asked Yoshiko.

"Just to make sure they didn't do any permanent damage to you," Yoshiko simply said.

"Right…"

Over in another part of the lab, the rest of the group was going over the history of Uzuki's four stepfathers. Hiroshi was at the computer, reading each file as it came up.

"Hachiro Kobayashi," Hiroshi read the name off of the file. "Born January 31, 1958, in Kofu, Yamanashi. Died August 15, 1988, of a brain aneurism. Married Kumiko Shitennou on June 13, 1982. Divorce finalized on December 23, 1982."

"Brain aneurism," Uzuki said. "Mom did say that he had a lot of mental problems throughout his life."

"I wonder why your mother married that maniac," Shizuka said.

"Probably because she felt that Uzuki needed a father figure," Yumiko said. "Obviously she made a wrong choice there."

"Well, here's wrong choice number two," Hiroshi said. "Nobuyuki Tagawa, born December 15, 1951 in Tokyo. Married Kumiko Shitennou on June 26, 1984. Marriage annulled on August 4 of that same year."

"I can understand why," Natsuko said. "I can't believe that your mother married that man."

"I still remember his exact words," Uzuki said. "Listen to me, you little brat. If it wasn't for your mother, I would kill you on the spot.' That's what he said. Anyways, my mom must have overheard him saying that, because she filed for divorce a few days later."

"Divorce?" Mizuki said. "Uzuki, your mom had that marriage annulled. In other words, they were never married to begin with."

"That's a relief," Uzuki said.

"Juro Maruyama," Hiroshi read off the next one. "Born February 23, 1958 in Nagano. Died July 16, 2001 of liver disease."

"Liver disease," Kai said. "Hiroshi Tsuburaya died of liver disease about a week afterwards."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Toshi asked.

"Hey, he was one of my heroes growing up, okay?" Kai said.

"Sorry," Toshi said.

"Married Kumiko Shitennou on May 17, 1986. Divorced on May 24, 1987," Hiroshi continued reading the profile.

"He was nice at first, then his drinking habits took over," Uzuki said. "Mom once said that if his drinking wasn't out of control, she'd have probably still been married to him."

"And she might still be alive," Kisaragi said. She then walked over and embraced her father. "I don't know what I would do if I lose you or mom, daddy."

"Don't worry about it, Kisa-chan," Hiroshi said. "Your mother and I aren't going anywhere for a looooooooooooooooong time."

"_Arigato_," Kisaragi said, wiping a tear from her eye. Kai then walked over to comfort her.

"Finally, we have Ryou Ito," Hiroshi said. "Born December 12, 1957 in Akita. Married Kumiko Shitennou on July 7, 1989. Divorce finalized on December 17, 1990."

"Merry Christmas, Ryou," Toshi said.

"He drank heavily as well," Uzuki said. "I still remember because I was beaten heavily the day that I met Suzuki."

"Just for the record, were you beaten before or after you met Suzuki?" Shizuka asked.

"After."

"Okay. Thanks."

"Well, here's something interesting," Hiroshi said, continuing to check out the file. "He served nine years in prison for various child abuse charges. Became a born-again Christian during his time served, and was let out this past year."

"Wait a minute…what's my Uncle Ryou!" Natsuko said.

"Your uncle?" Shizuka asked.

"When I was in middle school, my dad got a phone call from his sister that his brother-in-law had been arrested for child abuse," Natsuko explained. She then turned to Uzuki. "I never told you about that Uzuki, and for that, I'm sorry."

"Your…uncle…?" Uzuki was surprised to hear this.

"I can explain the family connection if you want," Kai said.

"Later," Uzuki said. She then turned back to Natsuko. "Look, Natsu-chan. You're not responsible for what your uncle did."

"Arigato, Uzuki-chan," Natsuko said.

"Hey, I want to know how they're related!" Shizuka said. "Does that make them cousins or something?"

"Well…" Kai explained. "Ryou Ito, Uzuki's fourth stepfather, is the younger brother of Renichi Ito, who is the husband of Kiyoko Watanabe."

"And Kiyoko is my father's sister," Natsuko said.

"Uh…could you run that by me again?" Shizuka asked. Everyone in the room face-faulted.

"Never mind, Shizuka," Yumiko said. "Besides, if they were related, they'd probably be cousins-by-marriage. At least, I think they would be." At that moment, Yoshiko and a fully-clothed Suzuki entered the room. Uzuki immediately embraced Suzuki upon him entering.

"So, what'd you find out?" Hiroshi asked.

"I discovered a strange liquid in Mr. Suzuki's system while examining him," Yoshiko said. "The liquid has been extracted from his system. It's actually some sort of homing device."

"Homing device?" Everyone else said.

"Yes," Yoshiko said. "I've never seen anything like it in my life."

"So, does that mean that they're tracking us?" Shizuka asked.

"Yes, they are," Yoshiko said. Uzuki embraced Suzuki tighter because of this.

"Uzuki…I can't…breathe," Suzuki struggled to say.

"Oh, sorry," Uzuki said nervously as she slowly let go "You okay, Suzuki?"

"It's all right," Yoshiko said. "He just fainted. But won't worry, this portable laboratory has a self-defense mechanism in cases like these."

"Well, that makes us feel a _whole_ lot better," Mizuki said.

"Uh…just what type of a self-defense mechanism does this thing have?" Natsuko asked.

"Observe," Hiroshi said as he pressed a button on the remote control.

Outside, the Toyota Camry was following the RV.

"How long have we been following them?" Koji asked.

"Don't worry, man," Norio said. "They're not going to get away from us." Suddenly, the RV in front of them disappeared. "What in the?!"

"I didn't know it could do that!" Koji said. "Uh…shouldn't we stop?!"

"Of course not!" Norio said. "It's obvious that the RV is in front…"

CRASH!

Back in the RV…

"Works every time," Hiroshi said.

* * *

Over at the Ichimonji Ranch, Hikaru and Takahiro had just finished giving the tour to Lenny and Tami. They were now having tea in the living room.

"So, what did you guys think of the place?" Taky asked his supervisors.

"Nice place you have here, Mr. Ichimonji," Lenny said. "I still find it hard to believe that it was once a hotel."

"I know," Hikaru said. "My father first bought this place after the war. He wanted me to run it someday, but I decided to go into teaching instead. He ran it until he passed away a few years back. That's when he gave it to me. It was in such bad shape when I saw it that I decided to renovate it. Ultimately, Tomi and I loved the place so much that we decided to live here."

"And you got lost for over six hours when you first moved in," Tami said.

"Yes, that too," Hikaru said, sweatdropping a little.

"Hey, where's Takahiro?" Lenny asked.

"Probably in the hot springs again," Hikaru said. "He always said those springs help his knee out a lot."

"I'll bet," Lenny said. "I'd like to take a dip in those hot springs myself."

"Well, they're always open," Hikaru said. "And don't worry, Tami. There's a women's bath as well."

"I didn't say I wanted to go into the hot springs," Tami said.

"But judging from the look on your face, you do," Hikaru said. Tami then sighed in defeat.

"You got me, Mr. Ichimonji," Tami said. "Is there anywhere I can change?"

"The baths have their own changing rooms, so you both have nothing to worry about," Hikaru said. At that moment, a ringing sound was heard.

"What was that?" Lenny asked.

"The phone," Hikaru said. "You two go on ahead. I need to take this call."

"Okay," Lenny said. "Thanks again for showing us the place."

"No problem," Hikaru said. The two doctors bowed before heading off. Hikaru then walked over to the phone and answered it. "Ichimonji Ranch, Hikaru here." His expression then changed from a happy one to a shocked one. "WHAT?! MUTSUKI'S IN JAIL?!"

Okay, you're probably wondering how that happened, right? Well…

* * *

_This is what happened earlier today…_

At the Tsukimato Ice Arena, Satomi was skating at one of the rinks while Mutsuki was just sitting at one of the players' benches. The former Olympian then skated over to the bench.

"Are you sure you don't want to come skate, Mu-chan?" she asked.

"I'm fine, mom," Mutsuki said. "Don't worry about me."

"Come on, Mutsuki," Satomi said.

"Mother…"

"I'll make you skate 100 laps around the rink if you don't leave that bench by the time I get to five," Satomi said. "One…two…three…four…" At that moment, Mutsuki opened the door to the bench and stepped onto the ice. "I knew you'd see things my way."

"I told you I haven't skated in a long time, mother," Mutsuki said.

"Don't worry, Mutsuki," Satomi said. "Let's take things one step at a time."

So, Satomi and Mutsuki basically just took it one step at a time, with Mutsuki slowly regaining some of the skating skills she had learned as a child. Satomi thought that maybe one day her daughter would follow in her footsteps and become a figure skater. Instead, she followed in her father's footsteps and became a teacher, but it didn't really bother her.

"I think I've finally got the knack of it," Mutsuki said.

"Good," Satomi said. Both girls then noticed a couple of young guys playing hockey at the other end of the rink. "Hey, let's go skate over there."

"Are you sure about that, mom?" Mutsuki asked worriedly.

"Relax, Mu-chan," Satomi said. "What could go wrong?" She then skated off towards the hockey players. Sighing, Mutsuki reluctantly followed her mother to the other side of the rink.

"How was that, Futoshi?" the player wearing a blue Toronto Maple Leafs jersey said.

"Looked nice enough to me, Saburo," the guy known as Futoshi said. He was wearing a gold Boston Bruins jersey with the brown bear on the front.

"Well, to me, it looks like your wrist shot is a little weak," Satomi said, having caught up to them. This brought the attention of both men.

"And what would you know about hockey, ma'am?" Saburo asked.

"A few things," Satomi replied. "I actually competed as a figure skater at the '68 and '72 Winter Olympics."

"No kidding," Futoshi said. "How'd you place?"

"Way out of the medal rankings," Satomi admitted. "But I wasn't competing in the Olympics for the medals like most athletes do. I was competing because I wanted to see new places and meet new people."

"Ah, I see," Futoshi said.

"Well, that's got to be a first," Saburo said. "I mean, who _doesn't_ compete in the Olympics for the medals?

"Obviously Satomi Watanabe," she said.

"Watanabe…are you related to Shinichi Watanabe, the anime director?" Futoshi asked.

"No, but my younger brother is the famed travel photographer Kazuki Watanabe," Satomi said.

"Really?" Saburo asked. "I never would have guessed that." Just then, Mutsuki caught up to them. "Hey, Futoshi…"

"Yeah?"

"Is it just me or does the girl that just skated up remind you of that girl we saw at that party the other day?"

"You mean the one where the host of the party got wasted and ended up having sex with her?" Futoshi asked. "Now that I think about it, she kinda does." Mutsuki then slowly skated towards Futoshi. "Uh…are you okay, miss?" She then punched him right in the jaw, knocking him down onto the ice.

"Whoa! What's your problem, miss?" Saburo asked before Mutsuki glared at him and knocked him out as well.

"MUTSUKI ICHIMONJI!" Satomi yelled at her daughter. "WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" Mutsuki then started shaking.

"I…I don't know," she said. "I just felt like punching them for some reason."

"Is it because they were talking about something similar to what happened all those years ago?" Satomi asked.

"I…I…" Mutsuki could really say anything. In the mean time, Saburo and Futoshi had helped themselves off the ice.

"You know…if we weren't on our day off, we'd arrest you for assaulting police officers," Saburo said, holding his cheek.

"P…police officers?" Mutsuki said worriedly. At that moment, a uniformed police officer had entered the arena and noticed a couple of his comrades holding themselves in pain.

"Saburo! Futoshi!" he said, heading onto the ice and carefully walking towards them. "What happened to you guys?"

"Well, Kanpei…this girl, Miss Mutsuki Ichimonji, punched us after we were taking about what happened at that party the other night," Saburo said.

"Yeah," Futoshi said. "That girl's nuts, Kanpei!" The officer, now known as Kanpei, turned to Mutsuki.

"Mutsuki Ichimonji…you're under arrest."

_Now, back to the present…_

"And because of that, she's going to have to spend tonight and all of tomorrow in jail," Satomi called from a phone at the police station. "They'll let her out first thing Monday morning."

"Well, that's wonderful," Hikaru said sarcastically, calling from the Ranch. "I thought they weren't pressing charges against her."

"They're not," Satomi said. "They figured she really needs to calm down, so…"

"I get the idea," Hikaru said. "I'm going to have a talk with that girl as soon as she gets home."

"Don't say anything that will upset her, Hikaru," Satomi said. "She's obviously under a lot of stress, not only with seeing you know who for the first time in years, but also having to confess a secret she's been hiding from us for the past year."

"All right," Hikaru said. "So, what about you?"

"Well, I still need to answer a few more questions, but they're going to let me go afterwards," Satomi said. "I'll pick up Mutsuki first thing Monday morning."

"I'll pick her up, Tomi," Hikaru said. "I was planning on taking the morning off anyways. Besides, we'll have that talk then and there."

"All right," Satomi said. "Just remember what I said."

"Okay," Hikaru said. "I'll see you when I see you."

"Love you," Satomi said.

"Love you, too," Hikaru said. "And Tomi…if you get a chance, tell Mutsuki I love her very much."

"I think she knows that already, but I'll try," Satomi said. She then hung up the phone.

_Oh, Mutsuki. What have you gotten yourself into now?_ Satomi thought to herself.

* * *

For most of the day, Yayoi simply avoided eye contact with Susumu after admitted that she was in love with Chitose. As for Susumu, he basically relaxed in his bedroom, making sure to keep his sore ankle elevated. As he was relaxed, there was a knock on his door.

"Come in, Yayoi," he said. Yayoi then uneasily entered the bedroom. She was wearing simply her yukata.

"How'd you know it was me?" Yayoi asked.

"We're the only two people here, Yayoi," Susumu said. "Did you need something?"

"Actually, there's something I need to talk to you about," Yayoi said.

"Chitose?"

"Yes." She then sat down on the bed next to Susumu, making sure not to sit on his sore ankle. "I've been thinking about it over the past few hours, and I've realized something."

"Oh?"

"Even though I have these feelings for him, I've come to the conclusion that he and I can never be together."

"I see," Susumu said. "So, what are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know," Yayoi said. "I haven't felt this way about someone in a long time. I don't know if I can get over it." She then started to cry into her arms. Susumu, feeling sorry for her, moved his legs over to the side of the bed, then scooted over so that he was sitting next to Yayoi. He then started to loosen the top of her yukata, exposing her bare shoulders. Yayoi then gasped and put her hands on Susumu's arms. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to make you feel better," Susumu said. "Am I doing something wrong?"

"No...at least I don't think so," Yayoi said.

"I'm not taking it all off…if that's what you want."

"If you say so," Yayoi said before sighing. Susumu then started to massage her shoulders. "Ooh…that feels good. Where'd you learn this?"

"Found it on the internet," Susumu said. "Hey, just because I'm a priest doesn't mean I'm totally cut off from the outside world."

"Right, right," Yayoi said. After a few minutes, Yayoi felt relaxed, so Susumu decided to move onto her temple, and he _very gently_ massaged them with his pointer and middle fingers.

"Yayoi…"

"Yeah?"

"After I'm done here, I need you to bare your back for me," Susumu said, blushing a little.

"Okay," Yayoi said. Susumu continued massaging her temples for about two minutes. "Now?"

"Now," Susumu said. Yayoi then slipped the remainder of the top part of her yutaka all the way down to her waist.

"Do you want me to lay down on the bed?" Yayoi asked.

"Yeah," Susumu said. "Just let me maneuver myself around, okay?"

"Okay," Yayoi said. Soon, Yayoi was laying on the bed, while Susumu was kneeling right over her legs.

"Here we go," Susumu said to himself as he began the bare back massage. After about ten minutes, he noticed that Yayoi had fallen asleep. "Oh, well." Not even bothering to put the rest of her yukata back on, Susumu simply scooted over and kissed Yayoi on the forehead. "Good night, Yayoi." He then fell asleep next to her.

* * *

Back at the Kagawa Fun Center, Chitose was talking on Daichi's cell phone, while walking alongside Daichi, Tommy, Rei, and Lita.

"Yeah, I'm having a lot of fun down here," Chitose said into the phone.

"Nice to hear it, Chitose," Minazuki spoke from the other side. "You know, I'd really like to meet Satsuki's brothers someday."

"Well, I'll be sure to tell them that," Chitose said. He then noticed Daichi doing the 'watch' gesture. "I've got to go. We're going to go eat dinner now."

"At 5:00?" Mina said.

"I know it's early, but we're starving!" Chitose said. "I'll be sure to talk to you tonight, okay?"

"Okay," Mina said. "Now, you take care of yourself, okay?"

"You, too," Chitose said. "Love you."

"Love you, too, Chi," Mina said before Chitose hung up the phone and handed it to Daichi.

"So, is it true that your sister is the pop star, Hazuki Yazakura?" Lita asked Chitose.

"Adopted, but yes, she is my sister," Chitose said.

"I know all of Hazuki's songs," Tommy said. "Listen…"

"Tommy, please don't," Rei said. "I'm begging you."

"Okay, Rei-chan," Tommy said. "For you."

"Is he really that bad of a singer?" Lita whispered in Rei's ear.

"Yes, he is," Rei said.

"Oh…"

"So, have you been enjoying this place so far, Chitose?" Daichi asked.

"Oh, yes indeed, Daichi," Chitose said. "There should be one of these in Tokyo."

"Well, I don't know if there's a place like this in Tokyo," Daichi said, "but as you know already, Kazu's got his warehouse in Yokohama. That should be just as good."

"Yeah," Chitose said.

Soon, they all reached the restaurant.

"Can I help you ladies and gentlemen?" the waiter asked the group.

"Gokajou, party of eight," Daichi said.

"Eight?" Lita asked. "Who are the eight?"

"Well…" Daichi said. "There's Hiroto Gokajou, Hirokazu Gokajou, Daichi Gokajou…that's me. Satsuki Gokajou, Kenichi Gokajou, Makoto Gokajou, Tomoki Tokajou, and Chitose Hitotose."

"I guess you two won't be having dinner with us," Chitose said to the girls.

"Oh!" both girls moaned.

"Relax, girls," Tommy said as he puts his arms around them. "Afterwards, we can have all sorts of fun together." At that moment, Daichi grabbed Tommy's right ear.

"Come on, Casanova!" Daichi said. "Let's go!"

"OW! OW!" Tommy said. "Hey, can you give me a minute here?"

"One minute," Daichi said as he let go of Tommy's ear. "Let's go, Chi." And with that, he and Chitose walked into the restaurant. In the mean time, Tommy loved over at Lita.

"Hey…" he said as he handed her a card. "That card has my home address, my phone number, my e-mail address, my instant messaging address…"

"So, basically, I can get in touch with you anytime, anyplace, anywhere," Lita said.

"You got it," Tommy said as he winked at her.

In the restaurant, Daichi and Chitose walked over to the table where Kazu and Keni were sitting at. Keni was still wearing his reading glasses.

"Hey, guys," Chitose greeted them.

"Hey, Dai. Hey, Chi," Keni said.

"Hi, guys," Kazu said.

"You know, those glasses make you look like a geek, Keni," Daichi said.

"I do not!" Keni said. "They make me look sophisticated. Besides, girls like a guy in glasses."

"I thought it was the other way around," Kazu said.

"Well, it can be both ways," Keni said. "I mean, it worked for you, didn't it?"

"Keiko didn't fall in love with me because of my glasses, Kenichiro," Kazu said. "It was because of I happen to be the perfect combination of brains and brawn."

"Whatever," Keni said.

"Who's Keiko?" Chitose asked as he sat down.

"Kazu's ex-wife," Dacihi said as he sat down. "Don't ask him why they divorced, though."

"Okay, I won't," Chitose said. Just then, Mako entered the restaurant and sat down at the table.

"Hey, guys," Mako said.

"Hey, Mako," Keni said. "How's your day been so far?"

"The usual," Mako said. "Saki and me dancing, girls trying to look at my legs, showing off some martial arts moves."

"I should have been there, man," Daichi said.

"Why?" Mako asked.

"Those girls obviously would have been impressed with my swordwork," Daichi said. "I am, after all, the best swordsman in the family."

"Sure you are," Chitose said.

"No, seriously. I am the best swordsman in the family," Daichi said. "I was kendo champion during all three years of high school and during my first year of college before I dropped out."

"Wow," Chitose said. At that moment, Satsuki entered the restaurant, wearing a black T-shirt, her yellow one-piece swimsuit, and a pair of white swim shoes. "Oh, my…"

"Hey, bros," Satsuki said as she sat down next to Chitose.

"Are you sure it's okay for you to be wearing that, Satsuki?" Kazu asked.

"Hey, I'm wearing shoes, I'm wearing a shirt," Satsuki said.

"I get the idea," Daichi said. "I just wished you'd wear some pants or shorts with that outfit."

"I'm fine, Daichi," Satsuki said. "Besides, I made absolutely sure that there were no guys leering at me."

"Right…" Keni said. At that moment, Katsuro Tanaka brought in a half-dazed Tomoki Gokajou.

"What happened to him, Katsuro?" Kazu asked.

"Well, Tommy-boy here was flirting with a girl…who turned out to be a guy," Tanaka explained.

"Another transvestite?" Daichi asked.

"Yep," Tanaka said. "Do me a favor and keep a closer eye on him, okay? I'm not his father."

"Speaking of father, where's Papa-san?" Kazu asked.

"I don't know," Mako said. "I haven't seen him since we checked in this morning."

"I haven't seen him since I took Chitose on the tour of the place earlier today," Tanaka.

"I'll go look for him," Kazu said as he was about to stand up.

"No, don't," Tanaka said. "I'll handle it."

"Thanks, Katsuro," Kazu said. And with that, Tanaka went off to look for Hiroto.

"So…how's everyone's day been?" Satsuki asked.

"I beat Boris Spassky at chess today," Daichi said.

"You did not," Tommy said. "Boris Spassky was not at the Kagawa Fun Center today."

"Actually, he was," Mako said. "He's been here since the place opened today. So, that makes two former World Chess Champions you've beaten, Daichi."

"Maybe I should compete professionally," Daichi said.

"Forget it, Daichi," Kazu said. "You're already a professional gambler."

"Right, right," Daichi said. Chitose then noticed the many, many TV on the wall in front of them.

"Hey, how many TVs are there over there?" he asked Daichi.

"Forty-seven," Daichi said.

"There's actually 48, but one of them doesn't work," Keni said.

"I see," Chitose said. He then saw a rather…explicit film on one of the TVs. "Oh, my GOD!"

"I don't believe this," Keni said before he stood up and walked over to the bar. "Change the show on TV 39."

"I, uh…"

"CHANGE THE DAMN SHOW!" Keni yelled at him.

"Okay! Okay! Chill out," the bartender said. He then left the bar and left the restaurant while Keni returned to his seat.

"Don't worry guys," Keni said. "Situation is under control."

"What was that movie, anyways?" Chitose asked him.

"_The Street Fighter_," Keni explained. "It's one of my dad's favorite movies. Unfortunately, I have trouble watching the film, especially because of that scene you just saw."

"You mean where he tore off the guy's crotch with his bare hands?" Chitose asked.

"Yeah," Keni said. "Sometimes, instead of putting you in excruciating submission holds, he forces you to watch all of the Street Fighter movies back-to-back-to-back."

"Trust a person who's experienced it…it is the worst punishment you will ever experience, especially when you have your eyes forced open during the whole time," Tommy said.

"I see…" Chitose said.

"Hey, guys. Look at TV 41," Mako said.

"Isn't that WrestleMania XV?" Kazu asked.

"Fourteen," Mako corrected him. "Fifteen was in Philadelphia. This one was in Boston."

"Oh, yeah," Kazu said. "Didn't you go to that one?"

"Yep," Mako said. "With my Sensational Six. Funny story. J.J., he's the guy from Boston that I told you about earlier, his father came with us to WrestleMania. He's not much of a wrestling fan, but he is perhaps the most passionate Red Sox fan you will ever meet. When Pete Rose came out and started insulting the crowd about the Red Sox inability to win a World Series."

"Last time I was here, we kicked your ass!" Tommy said in his best Pete Rose voice.

"Exactly like that," Mako said, complimenting Tommy's vocal skills. "He was referring to the Cincinnati Reds, Rose's team, beating the Boston Red Sox back in '75. He then called Boston the 'City of Losers.' And then, what really set him off was…" Tommy then tapped his brother on the shoulder.

"Can I?" Tommy asked.

"Go ahead," Mako said.

"You know I left tickets for Bill Buckner, but he couldn't bend over to pick them up," Tommy said in his Pete Rose impersonation.

"Great, Tommy," Mako said. "Anyways, that last comment really set him off, and it took me, J.J., and a couple of others to restrain him."

"Uh-huh," Chitose said.

"Say, Mak, how did he react to Kane Tombstoning Pete Rose?" Keni asked.

"He said, 'I've been waiting 23 years for that!" Everyone at the table except for Chitose laughed.

"Ah, now I get it," Chitose said before laughing a bit. "Hey, Kazu, weren't you going to explain the Montreal incident to me?"

"Yeah," Kazu said. "I'll do it later. I'm still a little traumatized from seeing that Street Fighter scene."

"Okay," Chitose said. "Say, Mako, who exactly are these Sensational Six?"

"Well, there's me, of course," Mako said. "J.J., I was talking about earlier, his full name is John Jay Hancock. Everyone calls him either J.J. or Johnny. There's his wife, Elizabeth "Lizzy" Ross, whom he first met at the '88 Stanley Cup Playoffs during the 'Blackout Game.' Then, there's Jean-Pierre LaPlante, we like to call him "Jeep." He's from Montreal, and here's an interesting fact: he's been to EVERY SINGLE WWF pay-per-view."

"Every one?" Chitose asked.

"From the first WrestleMania onwards," Mako said. "Anyways, moving on. Then, we have Lewis Robinson. He's from England. And finally, there's Verónica "Roni" Gonzales, from Mexico. She has two brothers that run a 'Mexicanese' restaurant in Tokyo."

"Mexicanese?" Chitose wondered.

"A hybrid of Mexican and Japanese food," Mako said. "I went there once, and I enjoyed the cuisine they had there."

"I see," Chitose said. "I'll have to try it sometime." At that moment, Rei and Lita walked up to the table.

"Hey, guys," Rei greeted them.

"Whoa, hold on!" Kazu said. "How'd you get past Tsuyoshi?"

"I flashed him," Lita said.

"WHAT?!" everyone at the table.

"I'm kidding," Lita said. "I told him we were friends of the family."

"How can you be friends of the family?" Daichi asked. "We don't even know you."

"I know them," Tommy said. "Well, I know Rei, but Lita, I just met today."

"Uh-huh," Satsuki said. "So, what are you girls here for?"

"Which one of you is Makoto Gokajou?" Lita asked.

"That'd be me," Mako said, raising his hand.

"We both have the same name, then," Lita said, "because my real name's Makoto, too."

"Really?" Mako said.

"Yep," Lita said. "And I also heard that you're a professional wrestler."

"Mm-hmm," Mako said.

"Okay, I have a question for you," Lita asked.

"If it's about whether or not wrestling is real…"

"It's isn't," Lita said. "I wanted to know if you knew who the current AJPW Triple Crown Champion was."

"It's Genichiro Tenryu, who is in his third reign as champion," Mako explained. "He beat Keiji Mutou at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo to win the vacant title three months ago. Tenryu competed in the 1993 and 1994 WWF Royal Rumbles, and he was the tag team partner of the infamous Koji Kitao at WrestleMania VII. I could go on, but I don't want to waste your time."

"Wow, you really know your wrestling," Lita said.

"Well, you have to really know your wrestling history in order to be successful as a pro wrestler," Mako said. "At least, that's what my dad says."

"I see," Lita said.

"All right, I've got to try this," Rei said. "Has a Japanese wrestler ever won the World Heavyweight Championship?"

"As a matter of fact, a couple of Japanese wrestlers have won a World title," Mako said. "Giant Baba won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship three times during his career. Masa Saito beat Larry Zbyszko for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship in 1990. I know that because the day after that, Buster Douglas beat Mike Tyson in the biggest upset in boxing history."

"You saw the Tyson-Douglas fight?" Chitose asked.

"Yep," Mako said. "We went to both events on consecutive days. There were, like, 64,000 people at the Tokyo Dome for that wrestling show."

"Wow," Chitose, Rei, and Lita said. At that moment, Katsuro Tanaka arrived with a familiar old man.

"Papa-san!" Satsuki said.

"I found this guy over in the exercise room," Tanaka said. "He was forcing some of the visitors into his infamous Giant Gokajou Workout."

"Dad…" Kazu said.

"Hey, they needed it," Hiroto said. He then noticed Rei and Lita. "Who are you two?"

"We're, uh…" they stuttered, obviously intimidated by the Gokajou patriarch.

"Classmates," Tommy said. "They go to the same school as me."

"Yeah," Rei said.

"And we were actually leaving," Lita said.

"Darn," Hiroto said. "I really want to get to know you two, but, oh, well."

"We'll see you all later," Rei said.

"Yeah, bye," Lita said. As they were both about to leave, Tommy quickly put his mouth to Lita's ear.

"Don't worry, he's doesn't know a thing," Tommy whispered to her.

"What were you whispering to her, Tomoki?" Hiroto asked him.

"I was just telling her goodbye, Papa-san," Tommy said.

"Right…" the other Gokajou siblings said. At that moment, several men came up to the table, each carrying a tray.

"Ah, that must be your dinner, guys," Tanaka said. The men then set the trays in front of each of the Gokajous and Chitose. They then removed the lids to the tray, revealing all sorts of food.

"Wow," Chitose said.

"You guys really outdid yourselves this time," Kazu said.

"Why, thank you," Tanaka said. Everyone at the table then stared at Hiroto.

"Go ahead. Pig out," Hiroto said.

"_Itadakimasu_," they all said before eating their dinner.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Tokyo, all four girls were on the subway. Hazuki was standing and holding onto one of the handrails, Fumitsuki was sitting on the bench between two portly gentlemen, Mina was sitting across from Fumitsuki, with Mike sitting on her left.

"So…when's your birthday?" Mike asked her.

"My…birthday?" Mina asked.

"I'd just like to know what your birthday is," Mike said. "I'm curious."

"Well, I turned 14 just a few weeks ago, so June 21st," Mina said.

"Ah, that would make you a…Gemini," Mike said.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm into Western Astrology," Mike said. "I was born on February 11th, so that makes me an Aquarius. How about you, Fumitsuki? What's your birthday?"

"Well, I just turned 17 this past Sunday," Fumitsuki replied.

"Well, Happy belated Birthday," Mike said. "July 7th…that would make you a Cancer."

"Excuse me?" Fumitsuki said, somewhat insulted.

"Whoa, relax! I'm talking about the crab," Mike said.

"Ah…now, I know what you're talking about," Fumitsuki said. "Sorry I misunderstood."

"It's all right," Mike said.

"In case you're wondering, Hazuki's birthday is August 15th," Mina told Mike.

"I already knew that," Mike said. "I read her interview in a magazine some time ago. She's a Leo."

"Oh, interesting," Mina said.

"Oh, did you have to break wind here?!" Fumitsuki said to one of the portly gentlemen. "Disgusting!"

"This is why I hate public transportation," Mike said. "Hey, Minazuki…"

"Yeah?"

"I noticed that when I mentioned that something embarrassing happened to Fumitsuki recently, you blushed a little bit," Mike said.

"Well…"

"I take it something happened in the women's changing room at the resort, eh?" Mike said. Mina simply sighed.

"Okay, you caught me," Minazuki said. "While we were changing, I pinched Fumitsuki in the butt."

"You what?!" Mina winced as soon as Mike screamed out loud. Luckily, none of the other passengers seemed to care. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay," Mina said, still blushing.

"Hey…I'm going to let you in on a little secret," Mike said. "But you have to promise not to tell anyone, okay?"

"Okay," Mina said, nodding.

"The truth is, Minazuki…I'm bisexual."

"Bisexual?" Mina was confused. "What does that mean exactly?"

"Well, let me put it this way," Mike said. "It means that I'm attracted to both men and women."

"Oh…" Mina said. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Well, maybe, just _maybe_, you might be bisexual yourself," Mike explained. "Do you have a crush on a guy?"

"Well…I probably shouldn't be saying this, but…I kind of do," Mina said, blushing profusely.

"What do you mean, you kind of do?" Mike asked confusedly. Mina checked left and right, then whispered into Mike's ear.

"Just between you and me, I'd always had a bit of a crush on my adopted brother, Chitose," Mina said to her.

"Eh?" Mike said. "Really?"

"Mm-hmm," Mina nodded.

"Now, you're sure he's adopted, right?" Mike asked.

"We all were," Mina said.

"I see," Mike said.

Soon, they all got off at the station.

"Well, I'll be seeing you guys later," Mike said.

"Bye, Mike," Mina said.

"See ya," Hazuki said.

"Bye, I guess," Fumitsuki said. At that moment, Mike walked off.

"So, what do we do now?" Mina asked.

"I think he should start heading back home," Hazuki said. "Oh, that reminds me, I need to call Shinichi." She then took out her cell phone, dialed the numbers and awaited for a response. "Hey, Shinichi. Really, we can come back now?! Oh…I see. Well, I'll be sure to tell them. Thanks." She then hung up.

"So, what's up, Hazuki?" Mina asked.

"Well, the door's fixed, but…" Hazuki stared to say.

"But…" Mina and Fumitsuki said.

"The air conditioner's out," Hazuki said. "_Again_."

"Again?!" Mina and Fumitsuki said.

"First thing tomorrow morning, we're getting a new air conditioner," Hazuki said.

Soon, they reached the condo, where Shinichi greeted them.

"I'm not fixing your air conditioner, Yazakura," Shinichi said.

"It's okay, Shinichi," Hazuki said as Mina entered the house. "Besides, we're getting a new one tomorrow." Fumitsuki noticed a bag outside that had her name on it, so she took it inside with her. That bag, incidentally, has her clothes from the…incident from earlier today.

"I see," Shinichi said.

"In the mean time, it's going to get really hot in here tonight," Hazuki said.

"Yeah?"

"Which means…never mind," Hazuki said.

"Come on, I want to know!"

"Well, I'm not telling you," Hazuki said. "Good-bye, Shinichi."

"But, Hazuki…" Shinichi said as he was shoved out of the room.

"Good-bye," Hazuki said before the shut the door.

"Man, it's so hot in here!" Fumitsuki said.

"I almost feel like taking off my clothes and walking around in my underwear," Mina said. She then realized what she said and blushed profusely.

"Well, you might just get your wish, Mina," Hazuki said. "In fact, I think I'm going to sleep naked tonight."

"N…naked?" Fumitsuki sand nervously.

"Yeah," Hazuki said. "You know what, I think it would be best if we all slept naked tonight."

"NANI?!" both of them said.

* * *

Over in the gymnasium, Daichi was dressed in a kendogi, sans helmet, and was showing off his sword skills with a shinai. Nearby, Kazu, Satsuki, Chitose, Kenichi, and Makoto were watching intently.

"He is good," Chitose said as he was watching.

"Shh, quiet," Keni whispered. "Watch the master at work." As Daichi was continuing his sword kata, Tommy, with a shinai in hand, very slowly snuck up behind him. As he was about to attack, Daichi turned around and blocked the shot. The two then traded blows before Tommy accidentally tripped and fell backwards, with Daichi pointing the shinai at his crotch.

"Just be glad this isn't a real sword," Daichi said. "I know many people that would want to do this to you."

"No kidding," Kazu, Satsuki, Keni, and Mako said. Chitose just stared that them.

"Just forget it," Daichi said as he put the shinai in his left hand and helped up Tommy with his right. "You know we wouldn't do that to you, Tommy."

"Yeah, but you are right," Tommy said. "But I'm not really worried about it." At that moment, Hiroto entered the gym, looking a little exhausted. "You okay, dad?"

"Yeah, just a little tired," Hiroto said.

"I think we should be heading back soon," Kazu said.

"Yeah," Keni said. "I'm kind of bushed myself." Daichi then put the shinai in his case.

"I'm going to go shower and change," Daichi said.

"We'll wait for you," Mako said. "Hey, Chitose…"

"Yeah, Mako?"

"You want to ride back home with me?" he asked.

"Sure, I guess," Chitose said. "If that's okay with you, Satsuki."

"I'm not too sure about that, Chitose," Satsuki said. "Mako can be quite a crazy driver."

"At least I'm not as crazy as Kenichi," Mako said.

"Hey!"

"Chitose, let me tell you something about Keni Gokajou," Mako explained. "This guy owns a 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 with a 428 Cobra Jet engine in it. It delivers over 400 horsepower, and he drives the damned thing like he stole it."

"I do not drive it like I stole it," Keni said.

"My car, on the other hand, is a 1990 Mazda Savanna RX-7 with a 1.3-litre, 200-horsepower, SS Turbocharged 13B Wankel Rotary Engine, and I am the only one that can drive it," Mako said as he glared at Daichi.

"WHAT?!" Daichi said just before he went into the changing room.

"Okay, what happened?" Satsuki asked Mako.

"Oh, nothing," Keni said. "Just that Daichi tried to hot-wire Mako's car and Mako said that he'd piledrive him into the cement if he ever attempted that again."

"I see," Satsuki said. She then turned to Mako. "Did you really say that to him?"

"Oh, yeah," Mako said.

"You guys are violent," Chitose said.

A couple of minutes later, everyone was ready to go.

"Glad to see you had a good time here, Chitose," Tanaka said.

"Thanks for having me here, Mr. Tanaka," Chitose said.

"Promise me that you'll come back here someday, all right?"

"Okay." Just then, Mako put his hand on Chitose's shoulder.

"Come on, Chi. Let's go," Mako said.

"Okay," Chitose said as the two of them walked towards Mako's car. Everyone else was walking towards the minivan.

"Kazu, you're driving," Daichi said.

"Why am I driving?" Kazu asked him.

"Because I drove on the way there. Enough said," Daichi said.

"You sure you want to sit next to Tommy?" Kazu asked him.

"I'll be fine, Kaz. Trust me," Dai said.

"You two had better not fight all the way back home, all right?" Kazu said.

"Don't worry, man! Everything will be fine," Daichi said.

"If you say so," Kazu said. As everyone was getting into the van, Satsuki noticed someone missing.

"Where's Kenichi?" she asked.

"Probably forgot something at the Fun Center…again," Kazu said.

"Well, that boy had better hurry, because I want to get home as quickly as possible," Hiroto said. At that moment, Keni was running towards the minivan, panting heavily as he did so.

"There he is," Daichi said. Keni then stopped at the van.

"Forget something?" Satsuki asked her twin.

"Yeah, one of my Bond novels," Keni said, panting heavily. "I've seriously got to stop smoking."

"Good idea," Satsuki said.

Soon, all the Gokajous (sans Mako) were in the minivan: Kazu in the driver's seat, Hitoro at shotgun, Keni and Satsuki sitting in the middle, with Keni sitting behind Kazu, and Satsuki sitting behind Hiroto, and Tommy and Daichi in the back, with Daichi sitting behind Keni and Tommy sitting behind Satsuki. In the RX-7, Mako was in the driver's seat while Chitose was in the passenger's seat.

"Nice car," Chitose said.

"Thank you," Mako said.

And with that, the two vehicles left the parking lot and headed home.

* * *

Well, that's the end of that chapter.

The song that was playing during Satsuki and Mako's dance is "Shot Bomber Zenryoku Shouchuu" from "Hikari Sentai Maskman" (1987).

The girl asking for Keni's autograph is Minako Aino, a.k.a. Sailor V, a.k.a. Sailor Venus. And you can only guess where those other two girls (Rei and Lita) came from.

The part of Rei's dad threatening to cut off Tommy's genitalia with a katana came from a 1998 WWF feud involving Val Venis and the stable Kai En Tai. Kai En Tai's manger, Yamaguchi-san, threatened to castrate Venis after he 'had an affair' with his 'wife.'

If you don't get the Mario Bros. bit, you're not a true video game fan.

The police officers in the ice scene were named after members of the "Dai Sentai Goggle V" (1982).

Thanks to JBK2K1 for the massage tips.

Yes, Verónica is the older sister of Raul and Rafael Gonzales.

The birthdays of some of the Happy Lesson characters have been changed to protect the innocent.

And I believe that's it. Please, read and review.


	16. Sweet Sixteen

Disclaimer: I do not own "Happy Lesson," its characters or concepts. They belong to Mutsumi Sasaki and KSS. Reader discretion is advised and certain celebrities have been impersonated. No celebrities were harmed in the creation of this story.

Warning: The following chapter contains nudity…lots of nudity and sexual situations. Just thought I'd warn ya. If you can't handle that stuff, don't read it.

We are now at Chapter…2000. I mean, Chapter XVI. Anyways, let's rock!

* * *

And now, for the Weather Report, here's Michiko Nakadai…

"Well, it looks like we'll have some mugginess all across the country tomorrow. Over in Okinawa, high tomorrow's going to be 42 degrees (108 degrees Fahrenheit), but there's also going to be an 80 percent chance of rain, so watch out for that. Over in Kyushu, a slight less chance of rain, around 50 percent, but it's still going to be hot, from between 40 and 43 degrees (104-109 degrees). Over on Shikoku, 20 percent chance of rain there, with the high probably going to break 40 (104 degrees), but most of the island, the temperature will be in the upper 30s (99-low 100s). Over in Chugoku, highs will be in the mid-to-upper 30s there (mid 90s-low 100s), with a 20 to 25 percent chance of rain. In the Kansai region, a slight chance of rain, highs around 35 (95) there. It's going to be even rainier in Chubu, with close to 70 percent chance there, with highs in the low 30s (86-91). Kanto region's going to have a 60 percent chance of rain, with highs in the low-to-mid 30s there (86-97). Over in Tohoku, you can expect a 40 percent chance of rain, with highs in the low 30s (86-91), and finally in Hokkaido, it'll be a 30 percent chance of rain with highs in the upper 20s to low 30s (80-91). So, with a chance of rain all around Japan, and hot temperatures all around, it is definitely going to be a muggy Sunday tomorrow."

And now, we return to our regularly scheduled program…

* * *

At the girls' place, Fumitsuki was just staring at herself in the mirror. She was still wearing her bra and panties, and her glasses were on the sink.

"Mitsuki, how much longer are you going to be in there?" Hazuki asked from outside.

"Just a minute, Hazuki," Fumitsuki called out to her. Sighing, she then undid her bra before pulling down her panties. She then picked up her clothes and glasses before walking to the door. "I'm coming out now."

"Okay," Hazuki said. Fumitsuki then opened the door to the bathroom and found Hazuki standing in front of her, completely naked.

"You must be enjoying this," Fumitsuki said to her.

"A little," Hazuki said. "Besides, you're trying something new, and I like that."

"Uh-huh," Fumitsuki said. "I'm going to bed now, so good night."

"Uh, hold it, Fumitsuki," Hazuki said her hand out. "You're sleeping in Mina's room tonight."

"WHAT?!" Fumitsuki blushed heavily upon hearing that. "But, Hazuki…"

"Good night, Mitsuki," Hazuki said just before walking back to her room.

"Hazuki…oh, never mind," Fumitsuki said. She then walked over to Minazuki's bedroom, which was locked, and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Mina asked from the other side.

"It's Fumitsuki," she said.

"Just a second," Mina said from the other side. Fumitsuki could hear a clanking sound coming from inside the room. "Okay, you can come in now." Taking a deep breath, Fumitsuki opened the door, and found Minazuki standing in front of her, naked as the day she was born. Her arms were to the side, and not covering anything at all. "I'm a little bit jealous."

"Why?" Fumitsuki asked.

"Because I haven't hit my growth spurt yet," Mina said, blushing a little.

"Let's just get this over with," Fumitsuki said. The two of them then crawled into their respective sleeping areas. While Fumitsuki quickly fell asleep, Mina couldn't get to sleep at all, and she quickly grabbed her cell phone and dialed it.

"Hello?" the voice on the other side said.

"Hey, Mike," Mina said.

"Rokumatsuri! What are you doing calling me this late?"

"Sorry, Mike," Mina said, blushing a bit. "I needed someone else to talk to."

"Oh?" Mike said. "What's going on over there?"

"Well, the air conditioning at our place is busted, so we're all sleeping naked tonight," Mina explained.

"Really?" Mike said. "I can see why you wanted to talk to someone on the phone. I don't know if this'll make you feel better, but I'm naked in my bedroom right now." Mina turned completely red upon hearing that. "You still there, Mina?"

"Sorry," Mina said. "Guess I tuned out a bit. Did you just say you were naked?"

"Yeah," Mike said. Her body was covered by the blanket, but her bare shoulders and arms showed that the blanket was the only thing covering her.

"Is it hot at your place, too, Mike?" Mina asked.

"No, not really," Mike said. "To tell you the truth, I actually have company over, so I'll have to let you go, Minazuki." Mina blushed even more, if possible, upon hearing that. "I'll talk to you later. Bye." She then hung up the phone. Back at the condo, Mina was completely red with embarrassment after that conversation. It was a wonder if she would be able to sleep tonight.

* * *

Back in the Mazda Savanna RX-7, Mako and Chitose were having a conversation.

"Say, Mako…"

"Yeah, Chitose?"

"You said earlier that you couldn't wear number #77 in high school," Chitose said. "Why?"

"Because they only had numbers up to #24, and if you were a starting player, your number was #2 to #11," Mako explained.

"I see," Chitose said. "Why did you want #7, then?"

"Because I was born in 1977, and since I couldn't take 77, I decided to 'cut it in half' as they say in the world of sports," Mako said.

"Uh-huh," Chitose said.

"I actually did the reverse of what Ray Bourque did when they retired Phil Esposito's number, because at that time, Ray Bourque wore #7, and that number was worn by Espo during his glory days with the Boston Bruins, and you have no idea of what I'm talking about, do you?" Mako said.

"A little," Chitose said. "But you said that someone else had #7, right?"

"Yep," Mako said. "Luckily, my second choice, #5, was available, so I took that."

"By the way…do you remember who had #7, Makoto?" Chitose asked.

"Makiya Tanaka," Mako said. "We used to call him Mickey because he wore Mickey Mantle's number. Do you know who Mickey Mantle is, Chitose?"

"He was a baseball player, wasn't he?" Chitose asked.

"Mm-hmm," Mako said. "What team did he play for?"

"Hang on, let me think for a second," Chitose said. "Mmm…Yankees, right?"

"You got it," Mako said. "Mickey and I both went into the wrestling business together, but he left after about five months because he wouldn't handle it. His passion was more for football. Last time I talked to him, he told me he wanted to make the national football team for the World Cup, but…"

"What happened?" Chitose asked.

"Mickey…his dad, his mom…they were all killed when a fire engulfed their home," Mako said.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Chitose said.

"You know the Tanaka that's in Papa-san's wresting class? That's Mickey's younger brother," Mako continued.

"Wow," Chitose said.

"He's dedicating his career to him," Mako said. "Mick also had a younger sister that was in that fire. She survived, but she's blind now. I still visit her from time to time."

"Unreal," Chitose said. "That must have been real hard on that guy. Losing his parents, his older brother, having his sister being blind."

"Well, Katsuro takes good care of them, Chitose," Mako said.

"So, Mr. Tanaka takes care of both of them?"

"Yep."

"Nice," Chitose said. "You know what, Mako? It's kind of like…" But before he could finish, Mako's cell phone went off.

"Hold that thought," Mako said as he pulled out his cell phone and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hello, Makoto," a female voice on the other side said.

"Misaki!" Mako said with a bit of surprise. "Why are you calling me at this time? I hope this isn't collect!"

"Don't worry, it's not collect," Misaki said. She was calling from her hotel room in Melbourne, Australia. She was wearing a blue T-shirt and red and black pajama bottoms. "So, did you see my fight yesterday?"

"I saw a rebroadcast of it earlier today," Mako said. "I missed it yesterday because I was helping with my dad's class, and my _brothers_ forgot to tape it for me."

"Uh-huh," Misaki said. "So, how's the only guy that's downed me doing?"

"Fine, thank you very much," Mako said. "My sister's in town, and she's brought her boyfriend with her."

"Is he one of those geeky types?" Misaki asked.

"Nope," Mako said. "He happens to be in good shape…and he's a fighter."

"Really?" Misaki said. "I'll have to take him on sometime."

"Just focus on your championship match tomorrow," Mako said. "Besides, you should be getting some sleep.

"Yes, _father_," Misaki said sarcastically. "I'll call you after the match is over."

"You're heading straight for the hotel room afterwards, right?" Mako asked. "Because I know that you don't like the press."

"Of course," Misaki said. "I'll talk to you later, Gokajou."

"Good night, Misaki-san," Mako said just before he hung up.

"Who was that?" Chitose said.

"Misaki Oshiro," Mako said.

"No way!" Chitose said. "You know Misaki Oshiro?!"

"Yep," Mako said. "In fact, I'm the only man that has ever knocked her off her feet in a sanctioned martial arts match."

"Whoa," Chitose said. "When was that?"

"A few months ago," Mako said. "Hey…I'll let you in on a little secret about Misaki-san. There's three things that she doesn't like: losing, arrogant men, and the press."

"The press?" Chitose asked.

"Yeah," Mako said. "Hey, what was it you were going to tell me before I had to take a transcontinental phone call?"

"Never mind, Mako," Chitose said.

"Oh, come on, Chi!" Mako said. "You've got me curious now!"

"I'll tell you about it tomorrow," Chitose said.

"Spoilsport," Mako said.

Soon, they all reached the Gokajou Mansion. Everyone was pretty much tuckered out, so they were planning on going to bed.

"Hey, Chitose," Daichi said. "I just checked the weather for tomorrow. It is going to be hot, hot, hot."

"How hot is it going to be?" Chitose asked him.

"It'll probably break 40. Record for tomorrow is 44, but I don't think it's going to get that hot," Daichi said.

"Aw, man!" Chitose said. "I guess I should sleep without my shirt on tonight."

"That would be a good idea," Daichi said. Chitose was about to head to the bathroom when Daichi called him back. "Oh, one other thing, Chi…I just want to warn you that when it gets really hot, Satsuki likes to sleep naked."

"N…naked?" Chitose said. Daichi nodded. "Thanks for telling me."

"No problem," Daichi said. Chitose then headed over to the bathroom.

A couple of minutes later, Chitose was in his and Satsuki's bedroom, putting his shirt in the laundry bag when Satsuki came in, wearing her sports bra and spandex shorts.

"Hey, Chitose," Satsuki greeted him.

"Hey," Chitose said as he turned around. Satsuki blushed a little bit when she saw him without a shirt on, but quickly regained her composure.

"Can I ask you something?" she said somewhat nervously.

"Go ahead," Chitose said.

"Have you ever slept naked before?"

"Satsuki?!" Chitose said, a little shocked that she would actually ask that.

"I'm serious," she said. "Have you ever slept naked before?"

"Other than the time that Mama Yayoi put me in that salt statue, then no," Chitose said. "Why do you ask?"

"I'd like you to turn around please," Satsuki said. Chitose did so. "And be sure to cover your eyes as well."

"Okay," Chitose said as he covered his eyes. "Can I uncover them yet?"

"Not yet," Satsuki said. After about another minute. "Okay, you can look now." Chitose then turned around and found that Satsuki was in bed, totally covered up by her blanket. Her bare shoulders and arms quickly suggested to Chitose that that was the _only_ thing covering her.

"Are you…" Chitose struggled to say the words.

"Naked?" Satsuki said. "Yes, Chitose. When it gets really hot like this, I sleep nude, even when I was younger."

_That probably explains all those photos Tommy took of her,_ Chitose thought to himself.

"Yeah. Daichi told me about that earlier," Chitose said.

"Do me a favor," Satsuki said. "Promise me that you'll sleep naked one night, okay?"

"Uh…sure, Satsuki, whatever you say," Chitose said nervously. He then pulled the blankets up to cover his face, hiding his embarrassment.

Tommy was walking through the halls of the mansion heading towards his bedroom. He then opened the door to the bedroom and found Lita sitting on the end of his bed.

"L…Lita!" Tommy said in shock.

"Hi, Tommy-chan," Lita said as she stood up.

"How in the world did you get here?" he asked nervously.

"A friend of mine drove me here," Lita said as she walked towards Tommy. "He'll do anything for me…and I'll do anything for you."

"A…anything?" Tommy said.

"Mm-hmm," Lita nodded. She then put her mouth Tommy's ear and whispered into it. "I'm even wearing edible underwear."

"Cherry-flavored?" Tommy asked.

"Your favorite," Lita said. "Rei told me about it."

"I know I'm stealing this from someone, but have mercy!" Tommy said just before the two of them embraced and kissed.

In the living room, Kazu and Keni were watching 'You Only Live Twice' on the TV.

"Hey, Kazu?"

"Yeah, Keni?"

"Did you notice that the door was unlocked when we came in?" Keni asked.

"Now that you mention it, it was," Kazu said.

"You don't think…" Keni said.

"Nah!" both of them dismissed the idea.

Back in Tommy's bedroom, he had gently pushed Lita down onto the bed. She had already removed her shirt and skirt, leaving her only in her edible underwear.

"I'm feeling a little hungry now," Tommy said, licking his lips.

"Take me, Tomoki," Lita said.

"But let's try to keep it down," Tommy said. "We don't want to wake up any of my family."

"Okay," Lita whispered. Tommy climbed onto the bed and started eating her panties. As soon as he had eaten them, he then started licking her crotch. After a little while, Lita orgasmed.

"Just a question…have you ever orgasmed like that before?" Tommy asked as he brought his face up.

"Mm-mm," Lita said, shaking her head. Tommy then noticed something.

"Hey, that's just a regular bra," Tommy said.

"I couldn't afford the edible bra," Lita said.

"That's okay," Tommy said. He then reached across her body and undid her bra, which was hooked in the front.

"T-Tommy?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we…do it now?" Lita asked.

"You do the honors," Tommy said. Lita then slowly removed Tommy's clothes, starting with his shirt, then removed his pants and underwear. "Oh, forgot one thing." He then grabbed the condom that was on the dresser and slipped it on.

Okay, let's move onto the next scene! Quickly!

* * *

In the portable lab, Kisaragi was now driving, with Kai riding shotgun, while Toshi, Kanna, and the Cosplayers were talking with the Ninomai Science Team.

"Where the hell are we?" Shizuka asked.

"Yokohama," Hiroshi replied.

"Which Yokohama?" Yumiko asked.

"The one in Kanagawa, Miss Yumiko," Hiroshi said. "We should be arriving at our destination in just a minute."

"And just where is our destination?" Mizuki asked.

"A hotel that a friend of mine owns," Hiroshi said. "Have you made the reservations, Yoshi?"

"Yes, Hiro-chan," Yoshiko said. "Six rooms for all of us."

"Six rooms?" Natsuko asked.

"Isn't that a bit much?" Mizuki asked.

"If we do two people a room, then no," Toshi said. "So, who's rooming with who?"

"Well, obviously, Hiroshi and I will be in one room, Kisaragi and Kaito will be in another room, Uzuki and Suzuki will be in another room, and we'll draw lots to determine the other rooms," Yoshiko said.

"Okay," Toshi, Mizuki, Natsuko, Yumiko, and Shizuka said.

"Do we have to?" Kanna moaned. Hiroshi then held six sticks in his fist, which all had the same wrappings on the top of them.

"There are two red sticks, two green sticks, and two blue sticks," Hiroshi explained. "The people with the red sticks share a room together, the people with the green sticks share a room, and the same with the blue. Kanna, you go first."

"Huh?" Kanna said.

"I said you draw first," Hiroshi said.

"Can you get this off of me first?" Kanna said, still wearing the electric handcuffs.

"On second thought, Yumiko, you go first," Hiroshi said.

"Okay," Yumiko said. She then drew a straw, which was green.

"Your turn now, Satoshi," Hiroshi said. Toshi then drew his straw, which was…

"Green," Toshi said.

"THANK GOD!" Kanna cried out.

"Okay…" everyone else said.

"Your turn, Shizuka," Hiroshi said. Shizuka then drew a blue straw. Natsuko and Mizuki both lucked out and drew red straws.

"There's only one blue straw left, which means…" Yumiko said as she turned towards Kanna. "I feel sorry for you, Kanna."

"Why, what's going on?" Kanna asked. At that moment, Shizuka snuck up behind Kanna and started squeezing her breasts. "AAH!"

"They're a little small…but they'll do," Shizuka said. "Squeezy-squeezy!"

"She squeezes women's breasts like Tina Foster from _Ai Yori Aoshi_?" Toshi asked Yumiko.

"Worse," Yumiko said. "She's an open lesbian."

"Ouch," Toshi said.

"This really sucks!" Kanna said as Shizuka keep squeezing.

Soon, they reached the hotel and everyone was checked in. Over in Uzuki and Suzuki's room, Suzuki was laying on the bed, with his shirt off, revealing the bruises from being tortured earlier in the day. Just then, Uzuki came out of the shower, wearing towels over her hair and around her body.

"You want me to turn over?" Suzuki asked her.

"Of course not, Takashi," Uzuki said as she removed the towel from around her hair. She then noticed the bruises all over his body. "Oh, your poor thing!" She then climbed onto the bed next to him and put her hand on his chest. "What an evil, evil man! Seeing those bruises remind me of all that happened to be during my childhood."

"Uzuki…do you mind if I…?" he asked her.

"Not at all," Uzuki said before rolling off of the bed. She then removed her towel, revealing her nude body to him.

"It looks as though you've healed nicely over the years," Suzuki said.

"Physically, yes," Uzuki said as she climbed back into the bed. "But emotionally, that's another story altogether." She then put her hands on Suzuki's chest again. "Takashi…let's heal each other's wounds."

"You got it," Suzuki said. "So…you want to sleep here tonight, or over there?"

"Here's fine," Uzuki said.

Over in Kisaragi and Kai's room, Kisaragi was in her pajamas, getting ready for bed, when she felt a pair of hands cover her eyes.

"Guess who?" he said.

"Nice try, Kaito," Kisaragi said.

"Aw, how'd you know it was me?!" Kai moaned as he uncover his girlfriend's eyes.

"We're the only ones here, remember?" Kisaragi said.

"Oh, yeah," Kai said. "You're not going to bed in that, are you?"

"I was," Kisaragi said. "Why?"

"Because you look better in bed out of it," Kai said.

"Oh, you!" Kisaragi said flatteringly.

"I'm serious," Kai said. He then started unbuttoning the top of Kisaragi's pink pajamas, which revealed that she wasn't wearing a bra. "Hello!"

"What?!"

"Nothing," Kai said. He then pulled down her pajama bottoms and panties, leaving her completely naked. He then noticed a snake crawling around his arm. "AAH!"

"What's wrong, Kaito?" Kisaragi asked as she stepped out of her clothes.

"There's a frigging snake on me!" Kai said.

"Oh, that's just my pet snake, Koujiro," Kisaragi said.

"You know how I feel about snakes, Kisaragi!" Kai yelled.

"Sorry, Kaito," Kisaragi said, somewhat embarrassedly as she removed the snake from him and placed it over her shoulders. "But he makes me look…sexy."

"Kisa-chan, you're sexy enough already," Kai said. "You don't need an animal to increase your sex drive."

"Like you?" Kisaragi said. She then put the snake down on the ground, which slithered into the bathroom.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute! Are you calling me an animal?" Kai asked, somewhat insulted.

"Well, you're a different kind of animal, Kaito," Kisaragi said as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Like what?" Kai said, still a bit upset.

"Well...you're more of a wolf," Kisaragi said. "And besides...wolves are much hotter than snakes."

"Well, then…"

Just then, the two of them made passionate love. During the lovemaking, Kaito was howling like a werewolf.

Over at Toshi and Yumiko's room, Yumi was brushing her hair while Toshi was doing sit-ups.

"So…what do you do for a living?" Toshi asked her.

"Cosplaying," Yumiko said.

"Are you serious?" Toshi said as he stopped doing sit-ups and just sat there on the floor. "Don't you have a regular job, like most of us?"

"Unfortunately, no," Yumiko said. "I've never been good at holding a job for an extended period of time. Basically, I've just been vice-president of the Cosplay Group for the past few years."

"Oh…" Toshi said. "Hey, are you a strong woman?"

"What do you mean by that?" Yumiko asked.

"How'd you like to have a real job, Miss Nakamura?" Yoshi asked her.

"Eh?" Yumiko said confusedly.

Over in Shizuka and Kanna's room, Kanna, who no longer wore the electric handcuffs, was laying in the bed when Shizuka came out of the bathroom, wearing a blue Houston Aeros jersey, circa 1975, and a pair of pink panties. Her hair was down, and there was something suspicious about it.

"Aren't you a blonde?" Kanna asked her.

"Nah, this is my natural hair color," Shizuka said, showing off her long, black hair. "I dyed it blonde after my parents disowned me."

"Oh?" Kanna said, now curious.

"Pretty much everyone in my family's turned their back on me…except for one," Shizuka said as she revealed a locket, which she opened, one side having a picture of herself as a teenager, and the other side having a picture of her younger sister, Chihiro, from when she was about 10 years old. "My little sister, Chihiro."

"Ah," Kanna said. "How old is she?"

"She should be 18 now," Shizuka said. "She just graduated from high school a few months ago." She then shut the locket. "I still keep in touch with her."

'I see," Kanna said. "I kind of know how you feel."

"Oh?" Shizuka said. "Really?"

"Yeah," Kanna said. "My parents disowned me when I was 12."

"Twelve?!" Shizuka said in shock.

"Probably because A, I hung out with Kisaragi, and B, I made some dangerous inventions,"

"Okay…" Shizuka said, rolling her eyes a little.

"Now that I think about it, I never really liked my parents that much," Kanna said. "All they did was get in my way of my quest for world domination." She then noticed that Shizuka was gone. "Hey, where'd you go, Shizuka?" Shizuka then snuck up from behind her and started squeezing her boobs again. "AAAH!"

"Sorry, I couldn't resist," Shizuka said.

Over in Mizuki and Natsuko's room, Natsuko was seen praying in front of a picture of her deceased mother, Setsuko Sasaki-Watanabe. Natsuko was wearing a blue Brazilian national football team jersey and a pair of white panties. Just then, Mizuki came out of the bathroom wearing a towel around her body.

"You still miss her, don't you?" Mizuki asked her best friend.

"Yeah," Natsuko said. "Dad called, by the way. He just arrived in Bangkok."

"How many times has he been there?" Mizuki asked as she took her pajamas out of her bag.

"I don't know. I've lost track," Natsuko said. As Mizuki removed her towel to put on the pajamas, she noticed the shirt that her friend was wearing.

"Hey, isn't that the Brazilian football uniform?" Mizuki asked her.

"Yeah," Natsuko said as she turned around to face her friend who was getting dressed. "I was born in Brazil."

"You never told me that!" Mizuki said as she was putting on her pajama bottoms. "And I've known you for nearly 15 years."

"Guess it slipped my mind," Natsuko said. "You know, it's funny. My name means 'summer child,' and when I was born, it was summer in Brazil."

"Natsuko, it was in the middle of January!" Mizuki said as she put on a gray t-shirt that said 'DON'T MESS WITH ME IN THE MORNING!'

"Don't you remember in science class, Miz?" Natsuko asked her. "If it's winter in the Northern Hemisphere, then it's summer in the Southern Hemisphere. And since it's Summer up here…"

"It's winter down there," Mizuki said. "Yeah, I get it now." Both of them chuckled for a bit before sighing.

"You know…you look kind of sexy," Natsuko said.

"Really?" Mizuki said, blushing a bit.

"Mm-hmm," Natsuko said, nodding.

"I wonder what our parents would think of this?" Mizuki asked her.

"My dad wouldn't mind, but I don't know about yours," Natsuko said. "What I'm more worried about is what the other Cosplayers will think of us if they find out."

"Ah, we're all a bunch of outcasts," Mizuki said. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind. Besides…we've got Miss Squeezy-Squeezy with us."

"Oh, yeah," Natsuko said.

"Hey…" Mizuki said with a sexy look in her eyes. "You wanna do it?"

"Here? Now? Tonight?" Natsuko said nervously.

"Of course, silly," Mizuki said. "I'll even let you be on top."

"I don't know…I mean, it's my first time…" Natsuko said.

"Same here," Mizuki said. "Let's find out together."

"Okay," Natsuko said, nodding.

Over in Hiroshi and Yoshiko's room, the happily married couple were sitting in bed together.

"So, what's our next plan of action, Hiro-chan?" Yoshiko asked her husband.

"I think we should separate Uzuki from the other Cosplayers," Hiroshi said. "I believe that Tagawa will stop at nothing to eliminate her."

"What about her family?" Yoshiko asked.

"You mean the other moms? And Chitose?" Hiroshi said.

"Yeah," Yoshiko said.

"Well, I haven't planned that far ahead yet," Hiroshi said. "Let's just get to sleep."

"No romance tonight?" Yoshiko asked.

"Not tonight, dear," Hiroshi said. "I'm exhausted."

Back in Mizuki and Natsuko's room, Mizuki had already been stripped of her garments. Natsuko was straddling over her.

"Well?" Natsuko said to her lesbian lover. Mizuki then removed the football jersey from Natsuko, revealing her to be completely naked.

"No panties?" Mizuki said confusedly.

"Didn't you notice?" Natsuko asked. "I removed them before I got into bed."

"Ah, I see," Mizuki said.

"Now, let's do this," Natsuko said.

* * *

Back at the Akaishi cabin, Yayoi moaned and started to wake up. She then noticed that the top of her yukata was pulled down to her waist. She immediately pulled her yukata back on and tied it up. She then noticed Susumu sleeping soundly next to her.

"That's right, I'm in Susumu's room," Yayoi whispered to herself. She was about to leave, when Susumu grabbed her arm.

"I was wondering when you'd wake up," Susumu said. "Did you enjoy my massage?"

"Yes, I did," Yayoi said as she climbed out of the bed. "I was just about to go back to my bedroom."

"Could you stay here for a second please?" Susumu asked as he maneuvered his legs so that they were hanging over the bed.

"Sure," Yayoi said.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Susumu asked.

"Go ahead," Yayoi said.

"Now, I'm curious…do you wear underwear, Yayoi?"

"No."

"No?" Susumu said.

"When I wear traditional Japanese clothing, I don't," Yayoi said.

"Really?" Susumu asked in a somewhat disbelieving voice. "Get on the bed."

"Susumu?"

"I want to see this for myself," he said as he swung his legs back onto the bed. "Come on and lay down next to me."

"Okay," Yayoi said, getting into the bed right next to Susumu. He then undid the tie to her yukata and opened it, revealing her breasts and external genitalia.

"You're right," Susumu said, smirking a little. "You _don't_ wear underwear when you wear traditional Japanese clothing."

"And now it's your turn," Yayoi said seductively.

"Eh?" Susumu was then surprised when Yayoi flipped onto him and pinned him onto the bed. She then started to remove his hakama. "Yayoi, what are you doing?"

"Shh," Yayoi said. "Just relax, Susumu." Her yutaka was still open, by the way. She then started undoing the front of his kimono and opened it, revealing that Susumu was wearing a pair of boxer briefs. "Boxer-briefs?"

"Yeah," Susumu said. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"No," Yayoi said. "But you won't be needed them now." She then pulled down his underwear, exposing his manhood to her. She then seductively touched his length with her index finger and gently stroked it.

"S…stop it," Susumu said, giggling a little.

"Why?"

"This is a little embarrassing," Susumu said.

"Oh, come on, Susumu. So what if you're a little ticklish?" Yayoi said.

"Can I have my pants up now?" Susumu asked.

"Not tonight, Susumu," Yayoi said. "Let's just sleep like this tonight."

"You realize that I'm still aroused, right?" Susumu said.

"I know," Yayoi said. She then reached over to the nearly nightstand and grabbed a small package.

"Are you serious, Yayoi?" Susumu asked her.

"Damn serious!" Yayoi said in a British accent.

"Okay, if you say so," Susumu said. The two then discarded their yukatas and Susumu slipped on the latex on his length. He was then straddling over Yayoi. "I want you to know…I still have that bad ankle."

"I know," Yayoi said. "I guess we'll both be careful."

"So, let's do this," Susumu said.

* * *

Over at his condominium, Takahiro Kobayashi was sort of relaxing in his bed. I say, sort of, because ever since he got home, he's been thinking nonstop of his former girlfriend, Mutsuki Ichimonji. He was now thinking about how he and Mutsuki first met…

_**(Flashback; April 9, 1990—Tokyo)**_

Yayoi and Mutsuki were walking to the first day of their second year at Koyomi High School.

"If I ever see that idiot again, I'm going to kill him," Yayoi said.

"That guy is an absolute creep," Mutsuki said. "A complete _ecchi_."

"Ew," both of them said. Neither of them noticed that a handsome young man (Takahiro) was skateboarding behind them, and was losing control of his skateboard.

"Watch out!" he called out to the girls as he slipped off of the skateboard. As soon as the two girls turned around he accidentally bumped into Mutsuki, knocking her onto the ground and knocking her glasses off.

"Mutsuki!" Yayoi said.

"Ow," Takahiro said. "I may be a good wrestler, but I absolutely suck at skateboarding."

"_Bakayarou!_" Yayoi said. "Now we're going to be even later for school."

"Sorry about that, Yayoi," Taky said as he dusted himself off and got himself up. He then turned to the person he knocked down. "I am so sorry, I…" He then saw the person he had knocked down, and he saw a lovely young woman with long, brown hair, tied in a long, braid in the back. He noticed her glasses just a few feet from her, and one of the lenses was broken. "Oh, no!"

"Yayoi, where are my glasses?" Mutsuki asked, feeling around for her glasses. Takahiro grabbed her glasses and handed them to her.

"Here they are, Miss Ichimonji," Takahiro said.

"Oh, thank you, I…" Mutsuki said as she put on her glasses. She noticed that one of her lenses was cracked, but she could still see the person in front of her. "Who…who are you?"

"Oh, we haven't formally met yet," Taky said, extending his hand. "I'm Takahiro Kobayashi. I was in your dad's homeroom last year."

"Oh," Mutsuki said.

"Sorry about your glasses, by the way," Taky said. "You know what…you honestly look better without the glasses."

"You…you really think so?" Mutsuki asked, blushing a little.

"I know so," Taky said.

"I don't mean to pry in on this conversation, but we're late for school," Yayoi said.

"Dammit!" Takahiro said. "Do you need any help, Mutsuki?"

"No, I'm fine," Mutsuki said as she got up. "But I don't know how I'm going to explain this to my teachers."

"Well, just tell them that I literally bumped into you," Takahiro said.

"Thanks, Mr. Kobayashi," Mutsuki said.

"Oh, just call me Taky," Taky said. "That's what all my friends call me."

"Well, thanks, Taky," Mutsuki said. "Maybe we'll see each other again."

"I guarantee we'll see each other again," Taky said.

"Well, I'll be seeing ya," Mutsuki said.

"See you in class, Mutsuki," Taky said. As Mutsuki walked off, Yayoi walked up to Takahiro.

"By the way, where'd you get that skateboard, Taky?" Yayoi asked.

"One of my relatives got it for me," Takahiro said. "I've been trying to figure the damn thing out for the past two days."

"Right…" Yayoi said.

"Yayoi…I think I'm in love with Mutsuki," Takahiro said.

"NANI?!" Yayoi said.

_**(End Flashback)**_

_Yayoi did have a bit of a crush on me_, Takahiro thought to himself. _Even though she never admitted it_. He then glanced over at a picture that was of him and Mutsuki during their first date at the Big Egg City (now Tokyo Dome City). _What the hell happened to us? Oh, right. But still…you think that she'd have forgiven me by now._

* * *

Back in the jail cell, Mutsuki still couldn't sleep. She kept playing the incident in her mind over and over again. However, one time, she thought about their junior year trip to the Takaragawa onsen in Gunma. It was the first time they had seen each other naked…

_**(Flashback; May 19, 1990—Gunma)**_

It was late at night at the Takaragawa Onsen in the Gunma Prefecture. Takahiro Kobayashi was relaxing comfortably inside the hot springs. He was in such relaxation that he didn't hear someone getting into the water. This person, who by the way, is a woman, slowly walked up to him before sitting down next to him.

"Mind some company, Taky?" This caused him to snap out of his relaxation and look towards the source of the voice. It was Mutsuki, wearing her glasses, and only her glasses.

"M…Mutsuki?!" Taky said nervously. "Don't you realize that this is the men's bath?!"

"I just talked with one of the employees," Mutsuki said. "It's mixed bathing after 10:00 p.m."

"Oh, is it?" Taky said nervously.

"Yeah," Mutsuki said, blushing a little.

"So, what are you doing out here, Mutsuki?" Takahiro asked her.

"Well, Yayoi snuck into the teacher's room and drank all the sake," Mutsuki said. "I think it'll take her three whole days to recover."

"I never knew that Yayoi was an underage drinker," Takahiro said. "Or a juvenile delinquent."

"Say, how long have you known Yayoi, Taky?" Mutsuki asked him.

"Since she first moved here from Nagoya, about seven years ago," Taky said. "How about you?"

"Since the first day of junior high, four years ago," Mutsuki said.

"Amazing," Takahiro said. "All this time, we haven't spoken to each other once until just a few weeks ago."

"Yeah," Mutsuki said. Both of them didn't say anything for a while, as they were both a bit embarrassed to look at each other.

"Mutsuki…why are you wearing your glasses?" Takahiro finally asked her.

"Because I need them to see, Taky," Mutsuki said.

"Not like that, Mutsuki," Taky said. He then reached over towards her glasses.

"Ah! What are you doing?!" Mutsuki shouted at him.

_**(End Flashback)**_

Mutsuki immediately snapped out of it, and realized that she was still in jail.

_Oh, my head!_ Mutsuki thought to herself. _What's happening to me?_

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Kyoto, Nobuyuki Tagawa was sitting in his office when his phone rang.

"Yes?" he said after he answered it.

"Your new second-in-command is here, sir," the person on the other side said.

"Send him in," Tagawa said. He then turned around to see the man entering the room, who had black hair, was wearing sunglasses, and was also wearing a black leather jacket, black gloves, and black pants. "Gai! Good to see you again."

"Nice to see you…_otou-sama_," Gai said as he removed his sunglasses, revealing his brown eyes.

"Glad to see you finally got out of jail," Tagawa said.

"I had to pull a few strings, but I got out scot-free," Gai said. "So, who am I after this time?" Tagawa then showed him a picture of the Cosplay Group from several years ago, when Natsuko and Mizuki were still with the group before they left.

"The one with the two ponytails is Uzuki Shitennou, my stepdaughter," Tagawa explained. "Do whatever you want with the other Cosplayers, but I want her alive. Got it?"

"Of course, _­otou-sama_," Gai said.

"Take as many of my men as you need," Tagawa said.

"_Arigato, otou-sama_," Gai said. He was about to leave, but quickly turned back to face his father. "_Otou-sama_…why do you want this Shitennou alive?"

"Because I want to do her in myself," Tagawa said. He then started laughing evilly as Gai soon joined in.

* * *

Well, that's the end of that chapter. If you managed to bear through this chapter, then you've learned something new about some of the characters.

The weathergirl from the start of this story comes from the two main female characters of the dark anime "Weather Report Girl," Michiko Kawai and Keiko Nakadai, respectively.

If you don't know where all the regions of Japan are, look it up on Wikipedia.

Now unless otherwise noted, when the people are talking about football, they're talking about association football, or soccer as we Americans call it.

Any true sports fan should see the video of Phil Esposito's retirement ceremony from 1987 in which Ray Bourque surprised the Boston crowd by changing his number from #7 to #77 during the ceremony.

Oh, and there's a New York Yankees reference in there. If you guys missed it, I'll explain it to you. As mentioned earlier, Mickey Mantle wore #7 for the Yankees. #5 was worn by Joe DiMaggio, who still holds the record for the longest hitting streak, with 56 games. Mantle, incidentally, holds the record for most home runs, runs scored, and RBIs in the World Series.

The Houston Aeros jersey is a reference to ADV Films, the studio that dubbed "Happy Lesson," which is based in Houston.

Trust me, the next chapter wouldn't have as much nudity as this one. Again, read and review.


	17. Black Sunday, Part I

Disclaimer: I do not own "Happy Lesson," its characters or concepts. They belong to Mutsumi Sasaki and KSS. Reader discretion is advised and certain celebrities have been impersonated. No celebrities were harmed in the creation of this story.

We are now at Chapter X-Seven, or 17/XVII for those that can't combine Roman and Arabic numerals.

* * *

_**(Sunday, July 14, 2002)**_

Over in the Ōu Mountains of the Miyagi prefecture, a man in his mid-40s was free climbing the rock during the early morning. This free climber is Renichi Ito, the wife of Kiyoko Watanabe-Ito, which would make him Satomi's brother-in-law. Now, you're probably wondering, what's the point of all this? Well, it's actually very important when you think about it. On this morning, this mountain climber and father of four, one of whom is deceased, is unfortunately about to make a major slip while climbing this mountain…

* * *

Chitose awoke at approximately 8:00 a.m., after a moderate night's sleep. After performing his 'morning bathroom duties,' he walked into the living room, dressed in a white tanktop and khaki shorts.

"Man, is it hot in here!" Chitose said to himself. He then saw the TV on, and saw a note taped to the VCR that said 'DO NOT TOUCH OR TURN OFF UNTIL 8:30.' He then glanced at the clock, which read 8:31. "Guess I can touch it now." He then turned off the VCR. "Where the heck is everyone?" He then walked over to the kitchen, where he fixed himself a bowl of cereal. "I wonder where everyone is." He then noticed a note on the table, which he read.

_Chitose,_

_In case you're wondering where everyone is, Papa-san, Kazu, Daichi, myself, and Makoto will be out for the entire morning. Satsuki's probably out jogging, and Tommy's probably still asleep. Call us in case you need anything. Our cell phone numbers are at the bottom of this paper._

_Kenichi_

"Guess I'd better pay Tommy a visit," Chitose said. "After I finish eating. _Itadakimasu_." He then started eating his breakfast.

* * *

Chitose was now walking through the mansion hallways on his way back to his room.

"Oh, Tommy, that was wonderful!"

"Huh?" Chitose thought he heard a voice coming from the room he just passed. He figured it was Tommy's room, so he knocked on the door. "Who's in there?!"

"Uh…uh…it's just me, Chitose," Tommy said. Inside the bedroom, Lita was laying on his chest.

"You lie!" Chitose said.

"Tommy, who is that?" Lita asked in a hushed voice.

"My sister's boyfriend," Tommy whispered to her. "I thought he was still asleep. Go hide in the closet."

"But, Tommy…" Lita said.

"I'm coming in there in at the count of ten," Chitose said. "One…two…ten!" He then opened the door to find Tommy in the bed by himself, with the blanket covering his body.

"Morning, Chitose," Tommy said.

"Morning," Chitose said. He then noticed various amounts of clothes on the floor. He then picked up a pair of underwear. "Looks like you have some company."

"Those are mine," Tommy said, getting out of bed. "So…what did you think of the Fun Center?"

"Oh, God!" Chitose said, covering his eyes and dropping the underwear at the same time.

"What?"

"Quit pointing that thing at me and put some pants on!!" Chitose shouted, still covering his eyes.

"What's the matter?" Tommy said. "Are you jealous?"

"No," Chitose said. "Just stick that thing into a pair of pants, for God's sake!" Sighing, Tommy grabbed the underwear that Chitose had just dropped and slipped it on. Chitose then peeked and saw that Tommy was wearing at least _some_ clothes.

"There, you happy?" Tommy asked sarcastically.

"Very," Chitose said. "I would have gone ballistic if you didn't put that thing away. So, who's your friend?"

"What makes you think that I have someone over here?" Tommy asked him.

"I know for a fact that _this_ is not yours," Chitose said, holding up a brassiere.

"Of course not," Tommy said. "But I do own one or two dresses."

"Eh?" Chitose said.

"Hey, aren't you curious to find out what it's like to wear girls' clothing?" Tommy asked him.

"You have got to be the weirdest of the Gokajou siblings, Tomoki," Chitose said. He then walked over to the closet.

"Uh…what are you doing, Chi?" Tommy asked nervously.

"Say, Tommy…" Chitose said with a smile on his face. "You don't mind if I open this door, do you?"

"Well, actually, I was going to…" Tommy said before Chitose suddenly opened the door, revealing Lita wearing a green Minnesota North Stars jersey, circa 1981, and _only_ the hockey jersey.

"Uh, hi," Lita nervously said.

"Hi," Chitose said. "You're Lita, right?"

"Yeah," Lita said. "Tommy, do you have a pair of pants I can borrow?"

"I'll get them for you in a minute," Tommy said. He then turned to Chitose. "Could you give us some time alone, please?"

"I'll give you five minutes," Chitose said.

"Give me an hour," Tommy countered.

"Ten minutes."

"Forty-five."

"Fifteen."

"Half-hour."

"I'll give you twenty minutes…but that's it," Chitose said.

"Fine," Tommy said. As Chitose was on his way out, he could hear Tommy talking to himself. "I can't believe this. I'm being bossed around by someone younger than me!"

Twenty minutes later…

Chitose was leaning against the wall by Tommy's room when Lita came out of the bedroom, wearing the North Stars jersey and a pair of black pants. She was holding the pants up with her left hand.

"Thanks again, Tommy," Lita said.

"Keep the shirt, but I'd like the pants back as soon as possible," Tommy said.

"I just hope I can make it home without them falling off," Lita said. Chitose immediately covered his eyes upon hearing that.

"What about that guy who said he'd do anything for you?" Tommy asked.

"I forgot to ask him to pick me up," Lita said. "And it's a long way back to Okayama."

"Well, if I could drive you, I'd take you back myself, but all my siblings are gone now, so I guess you're on your own," Tommy said.

"Yeah," Lita said. She then walked over to Tommy and put her arms around him and they kissed. While they kissed, Lita's pants fell down, and Chitose noticed this.

"Uh, Lita?" Lita and Tommy then stopped kissing and they both looked down to see the downed trousers.

"Oops," Lita said, blushing a little. She then quickly pulled her pants back up and held them up with both hands.

"This isn't going to work," Tommy said. "Lita, I think you should hide under my bed until my brothers get back."

"Okay," Lita said.

"Wait a minute…are you sure about this?" Chitose asked.

"Yes, I'm sure," Tommy said. "Besides…I have something to show you, Chitose."

"I hope it's not your private parts again," Chitose said.

* * *

"What is this?" Chitose asked Tommy as they were at a website on Tommy's computer.

"A fanfiction website," Tommy said. "There's my penname. Gokatomo59."

"Okay…" Chitose said. "You write fanfiction?"

"Just started a few months ago," Tommy said. "As you can see, I've been writing some 'Super Sentai' and 'Kamen Rider' fics."

"Uh-huh," Chitose said. "What's this one?"

"Ah, that one," Tommy said as he clicked it. "That one is based on the popular _Choujin Sentai Jetman_. You see, what happens is…"

"Uh, Tommy?"

"Yeah, Chi?"

"Your stories are all in English," Tommy said.

"I know they are," Tommy said. "Anyways, the girls of Jetman: Chōkan, Kaori, and Ako-chan are enjoying a nice day off at the local tavern, and the barkeep serves them a new concoction he's been working on. Well, this drink renders them unconscious, and when they regain consciousness, they begin to fall in love with the first man they see. Well, it's not exactly love…it's more like extreme lust."

"All your fanfics are about sex, aren't they?" Chitose asked him.

"Give or take," Tommy said. "Chitose…you remember when I said that I didn't buy the fact that the teachers moved in with you because you were struggling in school?"

"Yes, I do," Chitose said.

"Well, I still think that," Tommy said as he logged off of the internet. "Chitose, I think the real reason those teachers, including my sister, moved in with you, was one of the reasons. First…They probably thought, 'Hey, let's just move in with this delinquent kid and say we're his mother. That way, we won't have to pay any rent.' Second…" He then walked up to Chitose's ear and whispered into it. "They have not-so-motherly feelings towards you."

"What…are you saying?" Chitose asked him nervously.

"I'm saying that they probably have crushes on you, but won't admit it," Tommy said.

"Is that it?" Chitose asked him.

"Pretty much," Tommy said.

"Tommy…you've been watching way too much anime," Chitose said. "Particularly harem anime. There is no way in Hell that any of my mothers have a crush on me."

"Oh, really?" Tommy said. "Have you had any…dirty thoughts about any of your moms?" Chitose immediately turned crimson upon hearing that. "Thought so. I can see it in your expression."

"So what if I have?" Chitose asked him. "You obviously have dirty thoughts about Satsuki, and she's your sister!"

"You probably have dirty thoughts about your sisters, too," Tommy said.

"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response," Chitose said, looking away from him.

"I'll take that as a yes," Tommy said. Chitose blushed again at that. "Have you ever thought about…having a relationship with one of them?"

"If it's in a sexual way, then no," Chitose said.

"Liar," Tommy said. "You've had dreams about having sex with the moms, haven't you?"

"Once, and I didn't enjoy it one bit," Chitose said. "I prefer not to talk about it."

"Come on, man. Tell me," Tommy said.

"No," Chitose simply said.

"PLEASE?!" Tommy gave him the puppy-dog eyes.

"NO!"

"I'll betcha you saw Satsuki naked last night," Tommy said. Chitose blushed heavily upon hearing that. "I was right."

"How…how did you know about that?" Chitose asked him.

"Come on, Hitotose! I don't have to explain it to you," Tommy said.

"I'm going back to my room and nap for a bit," Chitose said. He was about to leave the room, when…

"How'd you like to see something cool?" Tommy asked him. Chitose then stopped and turned around to face him.

"It's not a collection of dirty magazines, is it?" Chitose asked him.

"Better," Tommy said.

* * *

Meanwhile, Satsuki had returned back to the Mansion property after jogging for the past few hours. She actually jogged longer than she usually did on Sundays, and she definitely felt it. She was wearing a yellow tank top and black spandex shorts.

"I'm home!" Satsuki said after she entered the Mansion. She then removed her tennis shoes and socks before walking through the living room. She noticed that the TV was on. "Doesn't anyone care about the electricity?" She then turned off the TV. She then walked through the hallway. "Chitose? Tommy?" She then opened her bedroom door and found the room empty. "Chitose? Hmm, he must be out." She then set her shoes and socks down before taking a towel from the nearby closet. "Chitose? Tommy?" She was now resuming her walk through the hallways.

"Satsuki's back!" Chitose said worriedly.

"Just stay quiet and she won't notice," Tommy whispered to him. The door to the bedroom then opened, and Satsuki peeked into the room.

"She won't notice, huh?" Chitose said.

"What are you guys doing?" Satsuki asked both men.

"I, uh…we…" Chitose stuttered.

"I was just about to show Chitose my fanfiction," Tommy said.

"Oh, okay," Satsuki said. "Well, I'm going to take a shower. If you tickle attack me afterwards, I'll break you in half."

"Sure, Satsuki," Tommy said.

"And to any of Tommy's girlfriends hiding in the closet or under the bed, if you're still there by the time I get back, I will make absolutely sure that you never have children," Satsuki said. She then shut the door.

"Relax, Lita. She was just kidding," Tommy reassured her.

"I wasn't kidding," Satsuki peeked through the door before shutting it again.

"So, now what?" Chitose asked.

"Just ignore her, Lita," Tommy said. "I'll make sure she doesn't lay a hand on you."

Outside of the bedroom, Satsuki was now walking into the bathroom. After she shut the door, she set the towel on the sink. She then disrobed before turning on the shower.

Back in the bedroom…

"So, what are you going to show me?" Chitose asked Tommy.

"Just watch, Hitotose," Tommy said. He then took the Gokajou Family picture off of his wall, revealing a keypad and a display behind it. He then touched a few buttons on the keypad before pressing the 'Enter' button. At that moment, the display changed from the numbers entered (I'm not telling you what those are), to reading…

_**IT IS NOW SAFE TO ENTER**_

"What does that mean?" Chitose asked.

"It means that we can enter the Vault now," Tommy said.

"The Vault?" Chitose wondered. "Say, do your brothers know about this?"

"All but Kazu," Tommy said. "I can't trust him to know about this."

"Uh-huh," Chitose said. He then noticed Tommy walk up to this closet door. "Hey, isn't that your closet?"

"Well, yes and no," Tommy said.

"What does that mean?" Chitose asked.

"You'll see." Tommy then opened the door, which revealed a room with rows and rows of videotapes. Chitose was in awe of what he was seeing. "This is my video collection.

"Wow," Chitose said. "Hey, wait a second…did the Ninomais have anything to do with this?"

"Well, they built the room, yes," Tommy said. "But if you're asking if I got the videos from them, then no."

"Ah," Chitose said.

"Well, don't just stand there acting all gawky, man. Go in there!" Tommy said, gently shoving him towards the closet/vault.

"All right! All right!" Chitose said, as he slowly entered the vault.

* * *

Meanwhile, Satsuki was still showering in the bathroom. Just then, the door to the bathroom opened, and Lita, still wearing the jersey and pants, slipped inside.

"Tommy, I know that's you, so don't even think about it," Satsuki said from inside the shower. Sighing, Lita slowly exited the bathroom and then shut the door.

Back inside the 'Vault'…

"Say…where did you get all these videos?" Chitose asked Tommy.

"A friend of mine got most of them for me," Tommy said. "He lives in the Miyagi Prefecture."

"I see," Chitose said. He then took a look at one of the videos. "All-Purpose Cultural Catgirl Nuku Nuku."

"Those are three unreleased episodes that you're looking at here," Tommy said.

"Unreleased episodes?" Chitose wondered.

"They made them after releasing the original OVA series, but since some of the…material was deemed too controversial, they decided not to release it," Tommy explained.

"What was controversial about it?" Chitose asked.

"Well…in the first episode, Nuku Nuku starts to go into heat," Tommy said.

"Heat?" Chitose said confusedly. "I thought robots didn't go into heat."

"Well, a cat-brained androbot apparently does," Tommy said. He then whispers into his ear. "And she ends up having sex with Ryunosuke."

"OH MY GOD!" Chitose said, turning completely white.

"Don't worry. These episodes take place a few years after the original Nuku Nuku ended," Tommy reassured him.

"That doesn't really make me feel better, but okay," Chitose said.

Back in the regular house, Lita was now walking into the living room.

_Where in the world is there another bathroom?_ Lita thought. Just then, the front door to the house opened, surprising her. Kenichi Gokajou then entered the house, wearing a pair of Aviator sunglasses.

"Hello there," Keni said. "You must be Lita."

"Hi," Lita said. "You must be Kenichi, Tommy's brother."

"Yes, I am," Keni said. "And please, call me 'Keni.'"

"Kenny?"

"Keni," he said. "K-E-N-I. Ke-ni. I have katakana and hiragana cards if you'd like to see them."

"Uh, no thank you," Lita said. "Listen, do you know where there's a bathroom?"

"Well, there's one down the hall…"

"I was already there," Lita said. "Your twin sister's showering there."

"Ah, I see," Keni said. "Hey, wait a minute…how did you know that Satsuki and I are twins?"

"Well, you do kinda have the same hair and eyes," Lita said. "I mean, I know you have different hairstyles, but you both do have the same hair color. And your eyes, well…"

"I get it," Keni said. "Well, we have a bathroom in the basement as well. If you want, I can take you down there."

"I'm fine," Lita said. "I'll manage." She was on her way, when she realized something. "Uh…how do I get to the basement?"

"(sigh) I'll take you down there," Keni said.

* * *

Meanwhile, Chitose was looking at another one of Tommy's videos.

"_Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon_ banned episodes," Chitose said. "Let me guess…there's lot of nudity and sex in this one, too."

"And lots of _yuri_ in this story as well," Tommy said.

"Yuri?"

"Girl-girl love," Tommy explained. "Lesbian sex."

"Oh, my God!" Chitose said. "Tommy…I have to say this. Most of this videos have got to be illegal. I don't know where this guy you know got all these videos from, and quite frankly, I probably don't want to know."

"Hey, not all of these videos are illicit," Tommy said.

"Yeah, right," Chitose said as he grabbed another video. "Puni Puni Poemi."

"Nope, that's legit," Tommy said. "It's a parody of magical girl anime, H-anime…"

"H-anime?" Chitose interrupted. "You have a Hentai anime here?!"

"Not so loud," Tommy said. "Somebody might hear you."

"Sorry," Chitose whispered. "You have a Hentai anime here?!"

"It's not really a Hentai anime, Chitose," Tommy explained. "But I'll tell you this…it'll probably be banned in a few countries because of its content."

"How so?" Chitose asked.

"You'll have to watch it for yourself, Hitotose," Tommy said. "And lucky for you, I have a VCR down here."

"Okay…" Chitose said.

One hour later…

"So, what do you think?" Tommy asked him.

"Tommy, this video should be banned, period," Chitose said. "I mean, they have a couple of ten-year-olds rolling around on the ground naked. There is something seriously wrong with that!"

"Yeah, it is cool," Tommy said. "Futaba's creepy, though."

"Yeah," Chitose said.

Back in the living room, Keni and Lita were sitting on the couch watching TV.

"So, what is this show?" Lita asked.

"Diamonds Are Forever," Keni said. "I love this car chase that they have here." Lita then noticed a glaring error.

"Wait a minute…" Lita said.

"Yeah?"

"The car went in the tunnel on its right-side wheels, but it came out of the tunnel on its left-side wheels," Lita explained.

"Yeah," Keni said. "I loved the thing they did inside the alleyway when they switched sides there. I always thought that they went through a magic alleyway."

"Magic alleyway? You've got to be kidding me," Lita said. At that moment, Satsuki came out of the bathroom wearing a towel around her body.

"Kenichi," Satsuki called out.

"Yeah, Saki-chan?" Keni said to Satsuki.

"I'm going to change now, so don't go in my room," Satsuki said.

"Satsuki, I haven't gone into your bedroom in fifteen years," Keni said. Satsuki then peeked into the living room.

"What's she still doing here?!" Satsuki asked.

"Her friend forgot to pick her up, so I'm going to have one of the other brothers take her back home later on," Keni explained.

"Okay…" Satsuki said before going back into her room.

"Does she really break Tommy's other girlfriends in half, Keni?" Lita asked.

"Of course not," Keni said. "Unless she actually catches them in the act, then she will break them in half."

"That makes me feel a whole lot better," Lita said, sweatdropping a bit.

Back in Tommy's bedroom, Tommy and Chitose came out of the 'closet.' (no gay jokes, please)

"So, what did you think?" Tommy asked him.

"Tommy…I don't know what to say," Chitose said.

"Come on, man. We both know you enjoyed it," Tommy said.

"I think now I know why they call themselves the _Dirty Pair_," Chitose said.

"Yeah," Tommy said. He then touched the a few buttons on the keypad before pressing 'enter.' At that moment, the display changed from the numbers entered (I'm not telling you what those are), to reading…

_**VAULT NOW CLOSED**_

"What did you do now?" Chitose asked.

"I closed the Vault," Tommy said as he put the Gokajou family picture back over the keypad. "Now it's just my regular closet in there." He then realized something. "Oh, crap!" He then went back to the picture, took it off the wall, and entered the password, which brought back the Vault. "Stay right there." He then walked back into the Vault, which then closed behind him.

"Huh?" Chitose said. "What was that about?" Two minutes later, the Vault door opened again, and Tommy was carrying a large box.

"I can't believe I forgot to show you this!" Tommy said as he set the box down.

"What's in that box? More hentai?" Chitose asked.

"Of course not!" Tommy said as he went back to the keypad and locked the Vault. "In there is every single manga written and drawn by Shotaro Ishinomori. 128,000 pages in total."

"Whoa!" Chitose said. "Every single one?"

"Mm-hmm," Tommy said as he put the picture back in front of the keypad. He then walked back to the box and opened it, which reveal tons and tons of Tankōbon books.

"Wow!" Chitose said. He then reached inside and grabbed one of them. "You even have the first volume of the original Cyborg 009! I've been looking for this for years!"

"Want to read it?" Tommy asked him.

"I don't know," Chitose said. "I'd probably ruin it."

"Don't worry about it," Tommy said. "The vault also helps preserve the items in a way that I can't really explain."

"Thank you, Kisaragi," Chitose said to himself. He then started reading the manga.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Tommy asked.

"It's Satsuki!" the person said from the other side.

"Satsuki who?" Tommy asked.

"What do you mean, Satsuki who?" Satsuki asked angrily. "Open the damn door right now before I break it down!"

"Are you wearing anything right now, nee-chan?" Tommy asked. Just then, the door to the bedroom flew open, and Satsuki had her right leg extended, as she had just kicked it open. She was wearing her yellow tank top and a pair of blank panties.

"Does that answer your question?" Satsuki asked.

"Kind of," Tommy said. Chitose then noticed Satsuki's choice of clothing.

"Whoa, mama!" Chitose said.

"Come on, Chitose," Satsuki said. "You've seen what I wear back at home. This isn't any different."

"Yeah, but I've never really seen you walk around in your underwear before," Chitose said.

"But you have seen her naked before," Tommy said. Satsuki then grabbed the back of his neck and whispered into his ear.

"Say something like that again, and I'll break you in half. Got it?" she said to him.

"Got it, Saki-chan," Tommy said.

"Why are you dressed like that, Satsuki?" Chitose asked.

"Because it's so damn hot in here!" Satsuki said. "I just checked the thermometer. It's already 33 degrees (91.4 Fahrenheit), and it's almost noon."

"Don't you guys have air conditioning?" Chitose asked Tommy.

"Oh, I must have forgotten to turn it on this morning," Tommy said.

"Really?" Satsuki asked. "Well, turn the damn thing on!"

"Yes, nee-chan," Tommy said just before he left the bedroom, leaving Chitose and Satsuki alone.

"Satsuki?"

"Yeah, Chitose?"

"Where is everyone else?" he asked her.

"Dad, Kazu, Daichi, and Mako are still out, and Keni just got back from working in the garage," Satsuki said.

"Well, where are they?" Chitose asked. "Hiroto, Kazu, Dai, and Mako?"

"They went to church and right now, they're having brunch," Satsuki said.

"I see," Chitose said. "Did you go with them?"

"No, Chitose," Satsuki said.

"But, why…"

"Chitose, I don't really like to talk about my personal beliefs," Satsuki said as she put her hands on her hips. "I'm sure you understand."

"Yeah," Chitose said. Just then, he heard the air conditioning turn on, and the temperature started to drop. "Well, that's a relief."

"Yeah," Satsuki said. "You want to watch TV?"

"Sure," Chitose said.

* * *

Over in the living room, Kenichi, Chitose, and Tommy were sitting on the couch while Lita and Satsuki were sitting on the floor in front of the couch.

"Are those guys really gay?" Chitose asked, referring to Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd.

"Well, it's implied, but it's never really confirmed," Keni said. "I mean, they do hold hands in one scene, and in another scene, there…" Tommy the held his hand up.

"Can I, please?" Tommy asked.

"Go ahead," Keni said.

"They're both aboard. I must say Miss Case seems quite attractive…for a lady," Tommy said in his best Putter Smith imitation. Chitose then gave him an evil glare.

"I didn't know you could do voices, Tommy," Lita said.

"Guess I forgot to mention that," Tommy said.

"Yeah," Satsuki said as she glared at Tommy.

"Say, Kenichi, you didn't go to church, either?" Chitose asked.

"Nah," Keni said. "I worship in my own way." He then reached into his shirt and pulled out a Cross that he wore around his neck.

"Ah," Chitose said. "Where'd you get that?"

"Dad gave it to me for my 13th birthday," Keni said. Just then, the front door opened, and Daichi stepped into the house.

"Man, it's hot out there!" Daichi said.

"Hey, Daichi," Keni said.

"Shut the damn door!" Satsuki said. Daichi then shut the door. Just then, there was a knock on the door. Dai opened it, revealing Hiroto Gokajou behind it.

"Why did you shut the door, Daichi?" he asked his second-born son.

"Saki-chan asked me to, Papa-san," Daichi said.

"Sorry, Papa-san," Satsuki said, bowing her head in shame.

"It's all right, Saki-chan," Hiroto said. "I'm going to take a nap for a while. Don't wake me up."

"Okay, Papa-san," Keni, Chitose, Tommy, Satsuki, and Lita said. Hiroto thought that he heard another voice beside his children and Chitose, but just shrugged it off and went to his bedroom. Just then, Mako and Kazu entered the house.

"Man!" Mako said. "It was really hot at church today. I think J.J. would have endured it better than I did."

"Why is that?" Chitose asked.

"No air conditioning at the church," Kazu said.

"Ouch!" Chitose said. He then noticed something peculiar about Mako. "Mako, you're wearing shorts."

"Didn't have a choice, Chi," Mako said. "How have you seen how hot it is? And normally, I don't wear shorts."

"Why?" Chitose asked, then realized it. "Oh!"

"You know…you've got nice legs yourself, Chitose," Lita said, causing him to blush intensely.

"Okay, that's enough of that," Kazu said. He then turned to his youngest brother. "Tomoki…have you been hiding a key under the mat? Because I think I've figured out why the door was unlocked when we came home last night."

"Uh, well…" Tommy said nervously.

"Never mind that," Keni said. "Lita needs a ride to Okayama, and since we can't take the van off of the island…" He then turned to Mako.

"Forget it," Mako said. "I want nothing to do with Tommy's girlfriends."

"I wasn't asking about your car, Makoto," Keni said. "I was asking if you would ask dad if we can borrow his truck for a while."

"No," Mako said.

"What if I told you I'd hand-wash your wrestling gear for an entire month if you asked him?" Keni asked him.

"No way," Mako said. Keni then chuckled and whispered into his ear.

"Remember who the older brother is, Makoto," Kenichi said to him. Mako then signed somewhat in disgust.

"You owe me for this, _nii-san_," Mako said just before he walked over to Hiroto's bedroom.

Five minutes later…

"So, what did he say?" Keni said.

"He was actually half-asleep when I asked him, but he said 'sure, go ahead'," Mako said.

"Okay," Keni said. "You're driving, by the way."

"And you're coming with me," Mako said. "Chi, you want to come with us?"

"Huh?" Chitose said, not really paying attention.

"I was asking if you wanted to come with us to take Lita back to Okayama," Mako said.

"Sure," Chitose said. "If that's all right with you, Satsuki."

"Chitose, you don't need to ask for my permission if you want to go with my brothers," Satsuki said.

"Okay, Satsuki," Chitose said.

"I'll go, too," Tommy said. He stood up, but was quickly brought back down by Kazu.

"You're staying right here," Kazu said. He then turned to Keni and Mako. "And you two really need to grow up."

"Whatever," Keni and Mako said.

"Come on, kid, let's go," Mako said.

"Her name's Lita," Keni reminded him.

"Lita," Mako said. "Let's go."

"Coming," Lita said. She was about to talk over to Tommy for a good-bye kiss, but Keni simply dragged her off.

"Let's go, Lita," Keni said. "We don't need you two to be lovey-dovey any longer."

"Call me," Lita called out to Tommy as she was being dragged out.

"We'll see you guys later," Mako said.

"Okay," Daichi said.

"You take good care of Chi, Mako," Satsuki said to her brother.

"Come on, sis," Mako said. "You know, I'm the sane driver of the family."

"I heard that!" Keni called from outside.

"Let's go, Chi," Mako said.

"All right," Chitose said. The two of them then left the house.

"I'm going to go swimming in the pool house," Satsuki said, getting up from the couch and leaving the living room.

"Okay. Be careful," Kazu said.

"I want to watch my Hurricanger and Ryuki shows from this morning," Tommy said.

"Sure, go ahead," Kazu said. He then noticed Daichi staring at him. "Can I help you?"

"You and me…Smash Brothers DX," Daichi said. Kazu then sighed.

"You're all children in adult bodies," Kazu whispered to himself.

* * *

In the truck, actually a Toyota Land Cruiser, Mako was driving, while Chitose was riding shotgun, and Lita and Keni was in the back seat, with Lita sitting behind Chitose.

"You want to know what I heard on the radio this morning?" Keni asked the group.

"Sure," Chitose said.

"I heard that Patrick Eliot, the guy responsible for such shows as 'Billy the Bird,' 'The SpyGirls,' 'Captain Don,' and many others…" Keni said. "I heard he's been asked by Nintendo to help produce an adaptation of Smash Brothers for television."

"Seriously?" Mako asked.

"For both the American and Japanese markets," Keni said.

"Cool," Chitose and Mako said.

"When's it going to be on the air?" Lita asked.

"They're saying late-2003…2004 at the latest," Keni said.

"Cool," Lita said. "I'll be waiting for it."

"Say, Mako," Chitose spoke to the driver. "Can you tell me more about the Sensational Six, please?"

"Certainly," Mako said, in his best Curly voice. "The first time I met J.J., it was at WrestleMania IV in Atlantic City, New Jersey. I remember that trip because Daichi tried to sneak into the Trump Plaza casino."

"He tried to sneak into a casino?" Chitose asked. "At fifteen?"

"Yeah," Mako said. "We were lucky that we weren't thrown out of the resort because of that stunt."

"Wow," Lita said. "Say, how old is Daichi now?"

"He just turned 30 a few weeks ago," Keni said. "A little bit out of your league, Lita, but about 10 or 12 years ago…watch out!"

"Was Daichi like Tommy is now back then?" Chitose asked Mako.

"Somewhat," Mako said. "But Tommy's much worse. Anyways, continuing on. I met with J.J., who was sitting in the row in front of me. We talked during one of the breaks between matches, and we really bonded. Next time we met was at SummerSlam '88 in New York City. In fact, we spent our last week of summer break in New York that year. At Madison Square Garden, we not only saw J.J., but we also saw his new girlfriend, Lizzy Ross, whom he met at the 'Blackout Game' at the Boston Garden."

"You told me that already," Chitose said.

"I know," Mako said. "Anyways, while we were at SummerSlam, I met also Roni while I was getting some refreshments for my family."

"Roni," Chitose said. "She's the sister of those Mexicanese Restaurant guys, isn't she?"

"Yep," Mako said. "Glad to see you remembered."

"Who are all these people?" Lita asked.

"Friends of Mako who are die-hard wrestling fans," Keni said.

"Ah, I see," Lita said.

"So, what about Lewis and J.P.?" Chitose asked.

"I didn't meet them until WrestleMania VI in Toronto," Mako said. "THAT is when we became the Sensational Six."

"Cool," Chitose said in English.

"You can speak English, Chitose?" Keni asked in English.

"Fairly well, but with some difficulty," Chitose replied in English.

"What are you guys saying?" Lita asked in Japanese.

"You don't speak English, Miss Lita?" Keni asked in English.

"No, I doze off during English class," Lita replied in Japanese.

"What an idiot," Mako said in English, referring to English.

"You said it," Chitose replied in English.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Gokajou Pool House, Satsuki had exited the locker room, wearing her yellow one-piece swimsuit. She then looked around the place for a minute before putting her hand on her strap. She then removed her swimsuit and dove into the pool.

In his bedroom, Tommy had just come out of his Vault, having watched _Ninpuu Sentai Hurricanger_ and _Kamen Rider Ryuki_ back-to-back. Just then, someone knocked on his door.

"Come in," Tommy said. The door opened, revealing Daichi behind it.

"YOU are going to teach me how to beat Kazu at Smash Brothers," Daichi said, pointing to his youngest brother.

"Forget it, man," Tommy said. "You can't even beat the computer at Pong." He was then on his way out.

"Is the Hurricanger-Ryuki tape in there, Tomoki?" Daichi asked, pointing to the Vault.

"Yes," Tommy said. "But I already locked it. If you want me to get it, you'll have to wait. I'm going over to the pool house." Tommy then left the room, leaving Daichi dumbfounded.

"I wouldn't have watched the damn thing anyway," Dai said to no one in particular.

In the family room, Kazu was playing _Dairanto Smash Brothers DX_ (Super Smash Bros. Melee).

"Hey, _Aniki_," Tommy said as he walked through the room.

"Where are you going?" Kazu asked him.

"To the pool house," Tommy said.

"You realize Satsuki's in there, right?"

"Yeah."

"And you realize she'll totally dismember you if she catches you trying to take a picture of her," Kazu told him.

"Fine," Tommy said, heading to the couch and sitting next to his brother.

"Good boy," Kazu said.

"How fast?" Tommy asked him, referring to his eldest brother beating Daichi.

"Eight seconds," Kazu replied.

"Ouch!" Tommy said.

* * *

Chitose was napping in the Land Cruiser.

"Hey, Chi, wake up," Mako said.

"Hmm?" Chitose opened one of his eyes and saw that he was on a bridge. He then yawned. "Where are we?"

"The Great Seto Bridge," Mako replied.

"Eh?" Chitose said. "We're on the Great Seto Bridge?"

"We've been on it for the past fifteen minutes," Mako said. He then checked the fuel gauge, which was near empty. "Damn, we're going to have to refuel as soon as we get to Okayama." He quickly glanced at the back and saw Keni and Lita napping. "Wake them up."

"Eh?" Chitose said. "You want _me_ to wake them up?!"

"Never mind," Mako said. He then put a tape in the cassette player. "This'll wake Keni up, that's for sure." He pressed the play button, and the theme from _Seiun Kamen Machineman_ started blaring. This immediately woke Keni up, and he started singing along.

_Mashin kuukan hikari ni notte_

_Mashin dorufin tonde kuru_

Mako then shut off the radio.

"HEY!" Keni shouted.

"Told you that would get him up," Mako told Chitose.

"Oh, where am I?" Lita asked as she slowly woke up.

"We're almost there, Lita," Mako said. "Sorry if I woke you."

"Nah, it's okay," Lita said.

"Besides, you got _plenty_ of sleep last night," Mako said. Chitose blushed a bit at that.

"Hey, play _Machineman_ again," Keni said to Mako. "And start it over at the beginning." Mako sighed.

"What I have to put up with to get this girl home," Mako said to himself. He then rewound the tape and played it again.

About ten minutes or so later, they reached a filling station, where Mako pulled up to one of the hoses. Everyone then got out of the car.

"Man! It's hot out here!" Chitose said.

"I checked the sign just a few blocks from here," Keni said. "It's 37 (98.6 Fahrenheit) right now. Luckily, we have _some_ shade here."

"Well, you're going to need to go in and get us some water," Mako said. "I don't want anyone suffering from dehydration."

"Got it," Keni said. Just as they were about to leave, another car pulled up to the adjacent hose. (gas stations in Japan have hoses that hang from the ceiling and not the 'traditional' gas pumps) The man then got out of his car.

"Hey, Gokajou!" he called out.

"Yes?" Keni and Mako said simultaneously.

"Wait a minute," the guy said, pointing to Keni. "You're Satsuki's male half, aren't you?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Keni said. "And it's Kenichi, by the way."

"Who's he?" Chitose whispered into Keni's ear.

"Satsuki's ex-boyfriend from high school, Rokuro Yoshida," Keni explained.

"No relation to Kaito Yoshida," Kisaragi said, popping out from nowhere.

"Eh?" Chitose said, thinking he saw something.

"You okay, Chi?" Mako asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Chitose said.

"Hey, uh…uh…," Rokuro was asking for the other Gokajou brother in the area.

"Mako!" he reminded him.

"Oh, yeah," Rokuro said. "How's your sister?"

"I will say this," Mako said. "If she ever sees you, she'll probably rip out several appendages from your body."

"Was it that bad of a relationship?" Chitose asked Keni.

"You'll have to ask her yourself," Keni said.

"I probably won't after hearing what Mako just said," Chitose said.

"Hey, Mako," Rokuro said. "Let's race!"

"Yoshida, we're pumping gas here," Mako said. "Besides, we have a Land Cruiser and you have a 3200GT. How the hell can you afford that?"

"It's actually a friend of mines," Rokuro said. "He doesn't know that I'm driving in, though. However…"

"Let's go and get the water," Chitose said.

"Agreed," Keni said. "Lita, you're coming with us."

"Sure," Lita said. "Anything to beat this heat." The three of them walked over to the convenience store, which had a sign posted on the window, 'NO AIR CONDITIONING.' Once they were inside the convenience store, Keni turned to the two high schoolers.

"I've got to go make a phone call," Keni said. "Here." He handed Chitose a 5000-yen bill. "Get a couple of litres of water, plus a little something for you guys."

"Thanks, Keni," Chitose said. He then turned to Lita. "Let's go."

"What, you don't trust me?" Lita asked him.

"Of course not," Chitose said as the two of them went off. Keni then pulled out his cell phone and dialed the house.

"Hey, Kazu," Keni said. "You guys taping that World Martial Arts Championship for Mako?" He then heard the response from his oldest brother. "Great. You do know what would have happened if you had said no, right? Right. We'll see you when we see ya. Bye." He then hung up. Chitose and Lita then came back, each carrying two bottles in their hands.

"You won't believe what this guy's charging for water here," Chitose said.

"1100 yen a pop," Lita said. "And that's not counting the sales tax."

"Gouger," Keni said to himself. "You can get a liter of gas for much less than that."

"Speaking of gas, I think Mako's done pumping it," Chitose said.

"Then, let's get this stuff paid for and get out of here!" Keni said.

After everything was paid for, they left the filling station.

Soon, they reached Lita's house.

"Now, you're sure your parents won't ground you for life?" Mako asked her.

"Of course not," Lita said. "They don't really give a damn about me anyways."

"If you say so," Mako said. "But just to make sure you get in safely, I'll come with you."

"Thanks," Lita said. Both she and Mako got out of the car, but before they headed for the house, Lita turned back to Chitose. She then knocked on his door. He opened it. "Bye, Chitose."

"Just get in there, Lita," Chitose said. He then turned away from her, only to be pulled into a kiss by Lita. After about twenty seconds, she let go, and left a dumbfounded Chitose in the truck while she and Mako walked to the house. Chitose then slowly turned towards the other man left the in truck. "Kenichi…"

"Let me guess…that was your first kiss?" Keni asked.

"Banzai," Chitose said.

"Planning to save that first kiss for Fumitsuki, eh?" Keni said.

"Well…wait a minute," Chitose said, starting to glare at the younger twin of Satsuki. "First off, how did you know about Fumitsuki, and second off, I have no intention of having a relationship with her."

"Noted, and I found out from Kazu last night…at least, all that he knew about her, which was pretty much just her name what who was basically was," Keni explained.

"Okay," Chitose said.

Over at the house, the front door opened, revealing a man with gray hair, brown eyes, and was wearing a tank top, showing off his muscular physique.

"Lita, where the hell have you been all night?" the man asked, now revealed to be Lita's father.

"Well, daddy, you see…" Lita tried to explain.

"Never mind. I don't want to know," her dad simply said. "Just get in the house. I'm about to watch the World Martial Arts Championship match." Just then, he felt a dust cloud go by him. Lita glanced over and found that Mako was no longer standing next to her.

In the car, Keni and Chitose saw what happened.

"Chitose, it looks like we're going to be here longer than I anticipated," Keni said. He then opened his door and got out of the car, walking towards the house. Chitose then sighed.

"What a day this has been," Chitose said to himself before getting out of the car.

* * *

Back at the Mansion, Satsuki was still swimming nude in the pool house. Over in the family room, Kazu and Tommy were watching the World Martial Arts Championship, while Daichi was playing Super Mario Bros. DX on Tommy's Game Boy Color. He lost his last life…on the first level.

"I hate these damn things," Daichi said has he turned off the GBC.

"Face it, man," Tommy said. "You are absolutely horrible when it comes to video games. Even after 17 years, you still suck at Super Mario Bros. I've beaten it 470 times."

"Shut…up…" Daichi said. Over on the TV, they were introducing the combatants for the finals of the World Martial Arts Championship.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the taekwondo finals of the 2002 World Martial Arts Championship, three rounds of two minutes each," the ring announcer on TV spoke to the live crowd. "Introducing first, to my right, wearing the blue uniform, from Reykjavík, Iceland, the reigning gold medalist, Eva Sigmarsson." The crowd booed Sigmarsson mercilessly, who had long, blonde hair, blue eyes, was wearing a blue martial arts uniform w/black belt, and flipped off the crowd. "Her opponent…to my left, in the white uniform, from Okinawa, representing Japan, Misaki Oshiro." Misaki got a more positive ovation, and was wearing a white martial arts uniform as opposed to the blue one she was wearing earlier.

"I hope Misaki kicks Sigmarsson's ass," Tommy said.

"I've got serious green riding on this," Daichi said. Kazu then glared at him. "What?!"

"You bet on this fight, didn't you, Daichi?" he asked.

"Maybe…" Dai said smugly.

"You're both weird," Tommy said.

"Look who's talking," Daichi said. At that moment, Satsuki entered the room, wearing her yellow swimsuit and a towel draped over her shoulders.

"Satsuki, what the hell are you doing in your swimsuit?" Kazu asked.

"I need to make a phone call," she replied. "Mutsuki hasn't called me since Thursday."

"One of the Teacher-Moms, right?" Tommy asked.

"Exactly," Satsuki said as she picked up the phone and dialed Mutsuki's cell phone.

"The person you have called, _Ichimonji Mutsuki_, is not available," the operator said on the other side. "At the tone, please record your message. When you have finished recording, you may hang up, or press the number sign for more options." Beep.

"Mutsuki, it's Satsuki," she spoke. "If you get this damn message, please call me back." She then hung up.

"Let me guess, she's not available?" Daichi said.

"Yeah," Satsuki said. "And I'm going to find out why." She then dialed Information, for Sapporo, Hokkaido, and the name Ichimonji. "I don't know what their names are. Can't you give me a list?"

"Didn't you ever meet Mutsuki's parents, or didn't she ever tell you about them?" Kazu asked her.

"Well, now that you mention it, she did mention her parents to me once," Satsuki said, covering the receiver. "I just can't remember their names. Hang on." She then put the phone up to the ear and started listening to the names being listed off. "Yeah, I think that's the one. Put it through."

"What makes you so sure, sis?" Daichi asked.

"Just shut up and let me talk to this guy, okay?" Satsuki said. Then, the person on the other end spoke up. "Yes, this is Satsuki Gokajou. Well, I wouldn't say that. Anyways, is Mutsuki there? SHE'S WHAT?! Wonderful. Well, can you please make sure that she calls me as soon as she gets out? Thanks." She then hung up the phone.

"Well, what's going on?" Tommy asked.

"Mutsuki's in jail," Satsuki simply said.

* * *

Back in the Land Cruiser, and back on the island of Shikoku, Chitose was talking on Keni's cell phone. It was also raining where they were currently at.

"_Nani?!_" he said. "Did you just say Mama Mutsuki is in jail?"

"Yeah," Satsuki said, calling from her cell phone in the pool house. She was still wearing her swimsuit and towel. "Apparently, she punched a police officer while at the ice rink. I have no idea why she did that, but she's going to be in the slammer until tomorrow morning."

"Wonderful," Chitose said. "Has she called you or anyone else since we arrived?"

"No," Satsuki said. "I'm really worried, Chitose. This isn't like her. That why I made absolutely sure that she calls me as soon as she gets out tomorrow morning."

"By the way, Satsuki, how did you find out she was in jail?" Chitose asked.

"I called her mom," Satsuki said. "Listen, Chi, I'm going to let you go. Is Mako driving safely?"

"Yes, he is," Chitose said. "Although we did have to drag him out of Lita's house, and then we threatened to hogtie him if he rushed back in there."

"Keni's not driving right now, is he?" Satsuki asked.

"No, _Saki-chan_," Chitose said with a bit of sarcasm in his voice. "Mako is, and you can probably guess why we had to drag him out of Lita's house."

"Yeah," Satsuki said. "My brothers are watching it on TV right now."

"Are they taping it?" she heard Mako from the other side of the phone.

"Yes, _Makoto_, they're taping it," Satsuki said. Just then, she heard a roar of thunder from outside. She then saw it starting to rain…hard. "Is it raining where you guys are right now?"

"Yeah," Chitose said. "We'll be here as soon as we can."

"Okay," Satsuki said. "I'll see you when you get here."

"All right," Chitose said. "Bye, Satsuki."

"Bye," Satsuki said. She then hung up. Looking out a nearby window and seeing that it was pouring down rain, she figured that a second swim would not be a good idea. She then walked over to the women's changing room. As soon as she entered the changing room, Tommy peeked into the pool house with a mischievous look on his face. In the changing room, Satsuki walked over to the locker where her basket had her clothes. She slipped off her swimsuit, then she reached into the basket and took out her underwear. As she was slipping them on, she heard a suspicious sound. "Hmm…"

In the regular pool house, we see Tommy Gokajou flying out of the women's changing room and into the pool. Satsuki then peeked out of the changing room, wearing a towel around her body.

"Serves ya right, you damned ecchi!" she said before shutting the door behind her. Tommy then resurfaced from the water. He then heard the thunder.

"Uh-oh," he said as he quickly got out of the pool.

Several minutes later, with Kazu and Daichi still watching the TV, Satsuki came into the room, wearing her yellow tank top, a black sports bra seen underneath, and her black underpants.

"Do you have to go walking around like that, Satsuki?" Kazu asked.

"Of course I do," Satsuki said. "You have a problem with that?"

"I don't," Daichi said. "So, where's Tommy?"

"Take a wild guess," Satsuki said as she sat down on one of the chairs. Kazu sighed somewhat in disgust.

"I warned him," Kazu said. "Didn't I warn him, Daichi?"

"Yeah, you warned him," Dai said. He then took a look at the martial arts match on the TV. "Oh, come on!"

"I heard that the referee blew a call during the semis and that's how Sigmarsson is in the finals this year," Kazu said.

"_Aniki_, has anyone ever been DQ'd in the finals of the WMAC?" Satsuki asked Kazu.

"Not that I know of, no," Kazu said. Tommy then entered the family room, dripping wet. "Serves ya right!"

"Shut…up…" Tommy said. He then walked towards his bedroom, still dripping wet, but not before stopping glaring at his sister.

"I think you really made him mad, sis," Daichi said. "Throwing him in the pool during the middle of a thunderstorm? That was probably pushing it."

"Don't…say…a word," Satsuki said, glaring at her older brother.

"Okay," Daichi said, meekly.

A few minutes later, the Land Cruiser arrived at the Gokajou Mansion. It was still pouring down rain, so as soon as the car was parked, Mako, Keni, and Chitose got out of the car and ran like hell towards the front door. After struggling to find the keys, Mako managed to open the door and the three guys entered the house, dripping wet.

"We're back!" Chitose called out.

"Hi, guys," Daichi said. Chitose then walked past him. "Hey, where are you guys going?"

"To change clothes," Keni said as he walked by.

"Ah," Daichi said. Mako was then walking by. "By the way, Oshiro won the gold medal." Mako stopped then turned around slowly.

"I told you _NOT_ to tell me what would happen until after I got a chance to see the tape!" Mako said, glaring at him.

"Just change your clothes and I'll show you the match, okay?" Daichi asked.

"Okay," Mako said, reluctantly.

* * *

Some time later, the rains had stopped. Chitose was outside on the backyard deck overlooking Tokushima City.

"Great view, isn't it?" Chitose turned around to see who had spoken to him. It was Kenichi, who had a cigarette in his hand. "Sorry if I bothered you."

"No problem," Chitose said. "Yeah, it is a great view."

"That's why my great-grandfather built it here," Keni said.

"Oh?" Chitose wondered.

"Well, the first house, exactly 75 years ago," Keni explained. "My grandfather rebuilt it after the War. My dad inherited it after his brother passed away in '69."

"Cool," Chitose said. Keni then walked up and stood next to him.

"Chitose…have you ever smoked a cigarette before?" Keni asked him.

"Never," Chitose admitted.

"Have you ever thought about it?" Keni asked. "I mean, I look at you and I see a guy that has more stress than a 17-year-old should have. I should know. I started smoking after Mama passed away, and that was ten years ago."

"I know," Chitose. "Kazu told me about that already."

"Look, enough about me," Keni said. "As I said, you look like you have more stress than a 17-year-old should have. I guess living with five teachers will do that to you."

"Yeah," Chitose said. Keni then took out another cigarette, leaving one in the pack.

"I got one left. You want it?" Keni asked.

"You sure about that?" Chitose asked, a little worried.

"Chi, there's an old saying," Keni said. "You should at least try something once."

"Why not? My life's in the pits anyway," Chitose said. He took the cigarette out of Keni's pack, and Keni took his lighter and lit both of them up.

"Here's to our fucked up lives," Keni said. The two of them then inhaled their cigarettes. Chitose then coughed intensly for about ten seconds afterwards.

"Man! How can you handle these things?" Chitose asked.

"You get used to them after a while," Keni said. "I guess that's why it's been so hard for me to quit."

"Yeah," Chitose agreed.

"What are you two doing?" Both Keni and Chitose nervously turned around to find Hiroto Gokajou standing behind them.

"Uh…he did it," Keni said, pointing to Chitose.

"Judas," Chitose said.

* * *

Tokushima City…an agonizing scream is heard in the distance.

Back in the Gokajou Mansion, more specifically, the Torture Room, Chitose Hitotose could barely stand.

"I think you've had enough," Hiroto said.

"Man! You're even rougher than Satsuki!" Chitose said, trying to catch her breath.

"You think? Who was the one that taught her all those moves?" Hiroto asked him.

"You?" Chitose said.

"That was a rhetorical question, Hitotose," Hiroto said. He then picked up a folding chair that was leaning against the ring and set it on the floor, after unfolding it, of course. He then sat in it. "Chitose…I'm going to tell you something that I haven't told a lot of people, and that includes my wife."

"I'm listening," Chitose said, after being able to stand up.

"When Satsuki was 10 years old, she told me she wanted to play basketball," Hiroto said. "I was totally against it. Call me a chauvinist, but at the time, I didn't think women were meant to play sports. So, you know what I did? I put her in that same hold I put you in just now."

"Oh, my God!" Chitose said.

"She lasted a lot longer than you did, even at 10 years old, and I was using full pressure," Hiroto admitted. "I wasn't even using full pressure on you, Chi."

"Thanks for telling me that," Chitose said.

"After about five minutes, I noticing a tear in Satsuki's right eye, and even as a tough guy, that last thing I wanted to see was my little girl crying, so I let go," Hiroto said.

"So, what happened afterwards?" Chitose asked.

"Well, after my wife had some choice words with me, I let Satsuki play basketball…after she had significantly recovered," Hiroto said.

"Of course," Chitose said. "Sensei…I'm sorry I was smoking with Kenichi."

"That's all right," Hiroto said. "I hope that'll convince him to stop smoking."

"You're not going to stretch him from pillar-to-post, are you?" Chitose asked.

"Of course not," Hiroto said. "At least, not right away." Chitose immediately shuddered upon hearing that. "Say, Chitose…would you like to hear some wrestling stories?"

"Well, sure, I guess," Chitose said. "I've got nothing better to do."

"Well, I have to warn you that what you are about to hear might get a little graphic," Hiroto said. "If you would like to back out, now is the time."

"After being put in an excruciating submission hold by you, I'm willing to bear anything," Chitose said.

"Very well," Hiroto said. "One time, I was wrestling Bob Backlund at the Capital Centre outside of Washington, D.C." Chitose took a nearby folding chair, unfolded it, and sat down on it. "It was sold out. About 18,000 people there. We were the main event, and we went at it. We were beat the hell out of each other for over twenty minutes. Both of us were busted open. We were fighting all over the ringside area. One of us shoved the referee, I forget which one, but the match ended up in a double DQ."

"You were busted open and you continued to fight?" Chitose asked, somewhat disgusted and curious.

"Yep," Hiroto said. "In pro wrestling, Chitose, unless you're seriously injured, you've got to walk it off and keep going. Anyways, after the officials got us separated and into the medical ward, I remember telling someone, 'If my family saw me now, they would have nightmares for weeks.'"

"I guess they would," Chitose said. "I think I'm going to have nightmares just hearing that."

"And we weren't finished," Hiroto said. "About two weeks or so later, we had another big time. This time, it was at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Like before, we went all out, and this time, the match ended in a double count-out. So, about a week or so later, we wrestle one more time. This one is at the Mecca of professional wrestling, Madison Square Garden—New York City. This match we had was called an 'Oriental Death Match.' No disqualifications, no count-outs, and the match ended when one of us couldn't get up from a ten-count after a pinfall or submission."

"Did you win that one?" Chitose said.

"Are you kidding me?" Hiroto asked. "I barely…_barely_ lost that match to Backlund that night, and I was very lucky that I was even able to leave Madison Square Garden alive after the beatings we gave each other."

"Wow," Chitose said. "Was that the bloodiest match you ever had?"

"Oh, hell no," Hiroto said. "The bloodiest, I would have to say, would probably be the one had with Antonio Inoki at the old Korakuen Stadium back in 1975."

"How bloody was it?" Chitose asked.I

"I lost so much blood that I went into shock and had to be rushed to the hospital shortly after the match ended," Hiroto said.

"Whoa…" Chitose said. "You must have been lucky to survive that."

"I'll tell you this…when I woke up, the very first person that I saw was Sachiko," Hiroto said. "And she told me, right then and there, 'Hiroto, don't you EVER do that again!'"

"She must have been mad, huh?" Chitose asked.

"Yeah," Hiroto said. "If I had died, I would have left her with four kids to raise, two of them still in diapers. Plus, Mako and Tommy wouldn't have been born."

"Wow," Chitose said. He then stood up from the chair.

"Can you walk, Chitose?" Hiroto said. "I mean, you did say I was rougher than my daughter."

"Yeah, I can manage," Chitose said. "I'll see you at dinner, Sensei."

"Hey, call me 'Hiroto,'" Hiroto said. "But Hiroto-sensei is also fine."

"Thanks," Chitose said. He then walked up the stairs, using the railing to balance himself. As soon as he was upstairs and through the door, Keni was waiting for him.

"Chitose, I am so sorry for what happened," Keni said.

"It's all right, Keni," Chitose said. "I needed that."

"I really mean it, Chitose," Keni said. "I'm going to make it up to you. How about you come with me to my friend's garage tomorrow? We're going to go work on some of our cars."

"Really?" Chitose said. "You want me to watch your at your work?"

"Well, it's not really work," Keni said. "In fact, I haven't had a job since the guy that ran the body shop that I worked at was arrested for…bad things."

"Such as what?" Chitose asked. Keni whispered what those bad things were in his ear. "Oh, good God! Oops."

"It's okay, Chi," Keni said. "I really don't mind."

"That is absolutely sick," Chitose said. "Say, where's Satsuki?"

"In the pool house," Keni said. "She really needs to get out of there now and help start dinner. Kazu's cooking tonight."

"Kazu can cook?" Chitose asked.

"Hey, he's a multi-talented guy," Keni said.

"I see," Chitose said. "Thanks again for the offer."

"So, are you taking it or not?" Keni asked.

"Sure, I'll go with you," Chitose said. He was then about to walk out.

"And Chitose…" Chitose turned around to face Kenichi. "I'm going to make a promise to you. I am not going to smoke in front of you ever again."

"Are you sure about that?" Chitose asked suspiciously.

"I swear on my mother, Chitose," Keni said, holding his cross necklace.

"Okay, Kenichi," Chitose said. He then left towards the pool house.

* * *

In the pool house, Satsuki was sitting on the edge of the pool, wearing her yellow swimsuit.

"Satsuki?"

"Hmm?" Satsuki turned around to find Chitose at the main entrance of the pool house. "Oh, hey, Chitose. What's up?"

"Your brother Kazu needs you in the kitchen to help him make dinner," Chitose said.

"Dammit, I forgot!" Satsuki said. She pulled herself up and rushed over to the changing room to change clothes. Chitose then walked over and waited outside the changing room. After a minute, Satsuki came out, wearing a yellow tank top, with black sports bra seen underneath, and her black spandex shorts. "Gotta go, Chitose."

"Nice pool house," Chitose said as she went though the door. She then peeked back inside.

"Thanks," Satsuki said before rushing out again.

* * *

Dinner was somewhat uneventful, with Satsuki serving her 'mean' radish rosettes. After dinner, Chitose was walking back to his and Satsuki's bedroom when Tommy caught up to him.

"Hey, Chi," Tommy said.

"Tommy," Chitose said, with a bit of disdain in his voice.

"Look, if it's about earlier today…" Tommy said.

"Don't bother, Tommy," Chitose said. "I just want to get to bed."

"I heard that you and Keni were smoking outside earlier," Tommy said. Chitose immediately turned around to face him.

"How did you know about that?" he asked nervously.

"Keni told me," Tommy said. "He also told me that you had been put in one of papa-san's submission holds, and that he had invited you to his buddy's garage tomorrow."

"Which I accepted," Chitose said. "Now, leave me alone. I'm going to bed."

"Hey, do you play Zelda, Chitose?" Tommy asked.

"I've played it a couple of times before," Chitose said. "Why?"

"Because I have the Legend of Zelda: Triforce of the Gods manga done by Ishinomori in my collection," Tommy said. "If you want to see it."

"Bring it to my room, Tomoki," Chitose said as he entered the bedroom and shut the door behind him. Tommy then knocked on the door, which Chitose peeked through.

"You want to know what your 'mom' did earlier?" Tommy asked. "She tossed me in the swimming pool during a thunderstorm."

"She must really hate you," Chitose said.

"But…" Chitose simply shut the door in front of Tommy's face.

* * *

Over in the garage, Keni was working on his 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 fastback. Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Keni asked.

"It's Mako," the person said.

"Come in," Keni said. Mako then walked into the garage, wearing a blue tank top and black wrestling tights. "Shouldn't you be working with papa-san on planning tomorrow's class?"

"He gave me a break," Mako said. "Plus, I thought you could you some help on the Mustang."

"I'm fine, but thanks for the offer," Keni said. Just then, a cell phone rang. "That's gotta be yours, since mine is in the house."

"It is," Mako said. He then answered it. "Hello?"

"Did you watch my match today?" the person on the other side asked.

"Oh, hey, Misaki," Mako said. "I watched it on tape, since I was busy during that time."

"But you did see me win the gold, right?" Misaki asked, calling from her hotel room in Melbourne. She was still wearing her white martial arts uniform.

"Yeah," Mako said. "And I also saw Sigmarsson glaring at you when you both bowed at the end of the match."

"Don't worry," Misaki said. "I don't think we'll be facing each other anytime soon. Gokajou, I'm exhausted. I'm going to go soak in a hot bath before hitting the sack."

"Okay…" Mako said, rolling his eyes a bit. "When are you coming back?"

"Tuesday," Misaki said. "I have to attend a press conference first thing tomorrow morning, and later that day, the medal ceremony."

"Yeah," Mako said. "I know how you feel about the press. Listen, I'm going to let you go now. What airport are you going to be landing at on Tuesday?"

"I'm going to Sydney first, then I'm flying to Narita," Misaki explained. "How long are you going to be at your dad's place?"

"Probably for another few weeks," Mako said.

"If I have a chance, I might swing by for a bit," Misaki said.

"Hey, sorry I didn't mention this earlier, but congrats on making history," Mako said.

"Yeah," Misaki said. "I'll talk to you later, Gokajou."

"See ya, Oshiro," Mako said, hanging up on his side.

"Are you sure you're not boyfriend and girlfriend?" Keni asked.

"I'll leave you to work on your car," Mako said.

"Okay, see ya Mako," Keni said.

"Remember…you owe me," Mako said, whispering in his ear before he left.

* * *

Back in the bedroom, Chitose was reading the Legend of Zelda manga that Tommy had in his collection. Just then, Satsuki opened the door to the bedroom, wearing a towel around her body.

"I know the drill," Chitose said. He then covered himself completely with the covers.

"Chitose, what are you doing?" Satsuki asked.

"Aren't you going to sleep in the nude again?" Chitose asked.

"Well, yeah," Satsuki said as she removed her towel, revealing her totally nude body. "You know, you don't really have to cover yourself with the covers. You can just cover your eyes."

"I'm reading one of Tommy's manga, and I don't want to be diverted from it right now," Chitose explained.

"Oh, okay," Satsuki said as she climbed into the bed. "It's safe now." Chitose then peeked from under the covers, and saw that Satsuki was covered up by the blankets. "Good night, Chitose."

"Good night, Satsuki," Chitose said. _I can just finish this later_, he thought as he set the manga down on a nearby shelf before turning off the lamp and going to sleep.

* * *

And that's the end of that chapter.

Author's Notes: No, the fanfiction website that Tommy is member of is NOT this one. Let's get that clear.

As far as I know, there has never been an episode of Nuku Nuku in which she goes into heat.

Just for the record, Puni Puni Poemi is banned in New Zealand.

Yes, Shotaro Ishinomori really did do a manga based on "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past." (Triforce of the Gods in Japan)

"Super Smash Bros. Melee" is known as "Great Melee Smash Brothers Deluxe" in Japan.


	18. Black Sunday, Part II

Disclaimer: I do not own "Happy Lesson," its characters or concepts. They belong to Mutsumi Sasaki and KSS. Reader discretion is advised and certain celebrities have been impersonated. No celebrities were harmed in the creation of this story.

We are now at Chapter X8, 18, or XVIII, depending on your point of view.

Warning: Nudity in this chapter.

* * *

_**(Sunday, July 14, 2002)**_

Over in a forest located near the Ōu Mountains of the Miyagi prefecture, a man around 30 years of age was walking through the woods.

"Reni!" he called out to the distance. "He just _had_ to go out early, didn't he?" He continued walking for a few more minutes until he saw a bloody and ragged body at the base of one of the mountains. "RENI!" He ran over to the body, which turned out to be Renichi Ito, the freeclimber we saw earlier who fell off of the mountain. "Oh, dear God!"

* * *

At the hotel in Yokohama, Kai was talking on his cell phone.

"Okay, thanks," Kai said just before he hung up his cell phone. He then turned to the group: Kisaragi, Uzuki, Toshi, Suzuki, Yumiko, Shizuka, Kanna, and the Ninomai Science Team. "Well, flying's out of the question. There's a storm system moving towards us."

"Great, so now what?" Uzuki asked.

"Hold on," Kanna said. "What did you mean by 'flying's out of the question'? I mean, it's not like you can fly or anything." Kai just smirked at her. "NANI?! You can fly?"

"I'm a licensed pilot," Kai said. "I was thinking of expanding our service nationwide."

"Never mind that," Yumiko said. "You were thinking of flying us all out of here?"

"Well, not all of us," Kai explained. "What I was thinking was that one group would travel by land, and the other by air."

"By air?" Shizuka asked. Her hair was her natural black, as she had run out of hair dye.

"Don't worry, Shi," Uzuki said. "You wouldn't be going in the air anyways."

"Well, why wouldn't she be going in the air?" Toshi asked.

"Fear of flying," Uzuki whispered into his ear.

"Ah…"

"Otherwise known as _aerophobia_," Kisaragi explained.

"So, what exactly is the plan?" Yumiko asked.

"Well, the plan is that Uzuki, Kisaragi, and Toshi go with me, and Kanna goes with the other Cosplayers," Kai explained.

"What?!" Kanna asked. "I have to go from one looney bin to another?"

"That shouldn't really be a problem for you," Yumiko said.

"Kaito, Yoshi, and myself all agreed that Uzuki should be in a separate transport from the other Cosplayers," Hiroshi said.

"But, why can't she go with us?" Shizuka asked.

"Just a precaution," Yoshiko said. "We don't want anything bad to happen to you should Uzuki's life become endangered." Uzuki and Suzuki both looked at each other with concern.

"Is it really necessary to split them up?" Toshi asked.

"Uzuki and Suzuki?" Kai said. "That wasn't my idea, I'll tell you that."

"Wasn't mine either," Hiroshi said. He then looked over at his wife. "Yoshi?"

"Well…" Yoshi started to explain.

"Hey, where's Natsuko and Mizuki?" Shizuka asked.

"They're probably still in bed," Suzuki said. "I'll go fetch them."

"I'll go with you," Kai said. Both of them left the lobby and went over to the hotel room.

"Kisaragi?"

"Yes, Uzuki?"

"What are Kai's interests?" Uzuki asked her. "I'm just curious."

"Well, he's a big fan of tokusatsu…he likes the Kurosawa films," Kisaragi said. "He's a big fan of Sonny Chiba…"

"An okatu, eh?" Uzuki said.

"Not really," Kisaragi said. "I will say this, though…he is VERY good in bed."

"I did not need to know that," Uzuki said, blushing profusely.

Over in the bedroom, Natsuko and Mizuki were resting comfortably under the covers.

"Hmm…what a night," Natsuko said with bliss in her voice.

"I didn't realize you could do that, Natsu-chan," Mizuki said.

"Well, you'd be surprised about a lot of things, Mizu-chan," Natsuko said.

"Yeah," Mizuki said. She then glanced at the alarm clock. "We really need to get up, Natsuko."

"Now?" Natsuko asked. "Can't we do it again?"

"Later, Natsuko," Mizuki said as she sat up and stretched. "Besides…we need to get dressed and get going." Natsuko then got a good look at Mizuki's well-toned body.

"You know…you are _very_ hot, Mizuki," Natsuko said.

"Really?" Mizuki said. "I thought I looked pretty ordinary compared to you."

"Well…we're all beautiful in our own way," Natsuko said as she got out of bed.

"Oh, God, I love you, Natsuko," Mizuki said. She then started kissing her lover before Natsuko pusher her back after about ten seconds.

"Hang on, I need to turn on my cell phone," Natsuko said. As soon as her phone was on, it started ringing. "Could only be one person." She then answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey, Natsu-chan," Kazuki Watanabe said on the other side.

"Daddy!" Natsuko said. "How come you didn't call me when you arrived last night?!"

"I did. Your cell phone was turned off," Kazuki said, calling from his Bangkok hotel room. "Didn't you get the voicemail?"

"I must have forgotten to check," Natsuko said, blushing a little. "Wait a minute. Dad, it's six o'clock in the morning here. What time is it over there?"

"Four o'clock," Kazuki said. "I couldn't sleep."

"Oh, well, can you call me back later, daddy?" Natsuko asked. "I'm getting ready to leave."

"Okay," Kazuki said. "I'll call you in about an hour, okay?" Just then, there was a knock on the girls' hotel room door, startling them both. Both of them hadn't bothered to get dressed yet.

"Better make that two hours, dad," Natsuko said just before she hung up.

"Sisters, this is Suzuki," he said. "You have until the count of three to open this door." Both of them didn't really know what to do as Suzuki started counting. "One…" They quickly rushed over to the blanket in an attempt to cover themselves. "Two…" They ripped the sheet off of the bed. "Three!" Suzuki then performed a flying side kick on the door, causing it to fly open, to the shock of Kai and the two girls.

"Dear God in Heaven," Kai said.

"Suzuki!" Mizuki said. "What are you doing in here?!"

"Well, I can see you're awake now," Suzuki said. At that moment, the other Cosplayers, Toshi, and Kisaragi showed up. (The Ninomais were keeping an eye on Kanna)

"Takashi, what's going on here?" Uzuki asked.

"Uzuki?!" Natsuko said.

"Natsuko? Mizuki?" Yumiko said.

"Oh…my…god," Toshi said.

"Very interesting," Kisaragi said.

"Wait a minute…you and you?" Shizuka said. Sighing, Natsuko gave up.

"Well, you all know about it now," Natsuko said.

"Indeed," Suzuki said.

"Now, can everyone please get out of here?" Mizuki asked. "Natsuko and I have to get dressed."

"Okay, Miz," Uzuki said. "You heard the girl. Everybody out now!" She then amazingly dragged out everyone from the door, allowing Natsuko to shut it.

"Well…they know now," Natsuko said.

"I guess we'll have to talk to them about it," Mizuki said.

"Yeah," Natsuko said.

While walking down the hall, Suzuki was talking to Kai.

"Kaito…would you mind making a slight amendment to your plan, please?" Suzuki asked him.

"Such as?" Kai said. Suzuki then whispered the suggestion into his ear. "Hmm…are you sure they can pull it off?"

"Trust me, Kaito," Suzuki said. "They _can_ pull it off."

A few minutes later, everyone was outside of the hotel, with the portable lab and Kai's Mitsubishi Challenger parked next to them.

"Slight change to the plan, guys," Kai said.

"Eh?" everyone else except Suzuki said.

Kai then explained the amended plan to everyone.

"Any questions?" Kai asked. Nobody raised their hands. "Good, now let's get going."

"Actually, there is one question," Kanna said. "Do we have to go in the portable lab again?"

"No, Miss Kanna," Kai said. "In fact, he should be coming with it right about…now." At that moment, a Mazda MPV minivan pulled into the parking lot. When it stopped, Toshi got out of it.

"Oh, my God!" Kanna said.

"Do we have to ride in that thing?" Yumiko asked.

"Yes," Kai and Toshi said.

"I hate minivans," Shizuka moaned.

"Well, too bad," Toshi said. "You're riding in it."

A few minutes later, they were off. Kai, Kisaragi, Suzuki, and Kanna were in the Challenger, while Toshi was driving the MPV with Uzuki, Yumiko, Shizuka, Natsuko, and Mizuki.

"Are you sure this plan of yours will work?" Kanna asked Kai.

"I'm sure it will, Kanna," Kai said.

(Seating arrangements—Challenger: Kaito, driving; Kisaragi, passenger's seat; Suzuki, behind Kisaragi; Kanna, behind Kai; MPV: Toshi, driving; Yumiko, passenger's seat; middle seats: Uzuki, behind Toshi; Shizuka, behind Yumiko; back seats: Natsuko, behind Uzuki; Mizuki, behind Shizuka; I hope everyone got that)

* * *

Over at the condo in Tokyo, Minazuki was the first to wake up. Despite earlier apprehensions, she actually slept like a log all night. She got out of bed, then stretched and yawned, still nude. She then walked over to Fumitsuki, who was sleeping on a futon, her nude body covered by the blanket, and started shaking her.

"Wake up, Fumitsuki. It's morning," Mina said. Fumitsuki simply moaned in response. "Fumitsuki!" She still didn't wake up. Thinking quickly, Mina then positioned herself so that she was over Fumitsuki's body. She then took a deep breath before planting her lips on Fumitsuki's.

_Hmm, Chitose_, Fumitsuki thought to herself. Her eyes then opened and saw that it wasn't Chitose that was kissing her…it was Minazuki.

"AAH!" both of them screamed, and Fumitsuki shoved Mina off of her, sending her against the wall.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ABOUT?!" Fumitsuki screamed.

"I'm…sorry, Fumitsuki," Mina said. "It was the only thing I could think of that would wake you up."

"Well, it definitely worked," Fumitsuki said. At that moment, Hazuki came in, not bothering to cover herself up.

"I heard a scream!" Hazuki said. Fumitsuki then screamed again upon seeing Hazuki naked.

About 45 minutes later, after everyone had had an opportunity to calm down, Mina was fixing breakfast in the kitchen, while Hazuki was reading the newspaper at the table. Fumitsuki was also sitting at the table, muttering to herself.

"I thought it was just a bad dream," Fumitsuki said. "Instead, it's a bad reality."

"Oh, look at this," Hazuki said. "It says here that if we buy 50,000 yen worth of merchandise at Seiyu today, we get three free tickets to the Giants game this Tuesday night."

"Oh, really?" Mina asked. "Who are they playing?"

"Yokohama BayStars," Hazuki said.

"Oh, let's go, Hazuki!" Mina said. "It'll be fun!"

"Okay," Hazuki said. "What do you think, Mitsuki?" Fumitsuki didn't immediately answer. "Mitsuki?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Hazuki," Fumitsuki said, blushing a bit. "I'm not really into baseball all that much."

"Oh, come on, Fumitsuki!" Mina said. "It'll be fun!"

"Maybe for you guys, but not for me," Fumitsuki said. "I'll just stay here. I promise you guys I'll be fine."

"Mitsuki, you're coming with us, and that's that," Hazuki said. "Besides, they sell air conditioners at Seiyu. All we have to do is get an air conditioner, and maybe a few other things, and we'll be spending Tuesday night at the Tokyo Dome."

"Oh, fine," Fumitsuki said. "What time does Seiyu open at?"

"Nine o'clock," Hazuki said, taking a look at the clock, which read 7:45. "Mina, is it almost done?"

"It's done now," Mina said, serving the food on the dishes and setting each of them on the table for the girls. "Here we go."

"Let's eat," Hazuki said. "_Itadakimasu_." She then started eating at warp speed.

"How can she eat so fast and not get sick?" Fumitsuki asked Minazuki. She just shrugged in response.

Forty-five minutes later, after all the girls had showered and dressed, the trio were ready to leave the condo when there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Hazuki asked.

"It's Kensaku," the person on the other side said.

"One of the neighbors," Hazuki told Fumitsuki.

"Oh," Fumitsuki said. Hazuki then stood up, walked to the door and opened it, revealing a man in his late-40s with black hair.

"Hey, Kensaku," Hazuki greeted him.

"Good morning," Kensaku greeted her. "I heard that you're going to buy a new air conditioner today."

"Yeah, the one we have now keeps acting up, and I've been meaning to get a new one for a while now, I've just never had the time," Hazuki explained.

"I understand how you feel," Kensaku said. "I mean, I'm no pop idol, but I know how it feels when you don't have time for anything. By the way, I'd be more than happy to help you girls today getting the air conditioner home."

"Thanks, Kensaku," Hazuki said. "Should we take two cars, or should we go with you?"

"I think it's best that we all travel together in my truck," Kensaku said. He then turned to 'the camera.' "It's a 2002 Toyota Tundra extended cab, in case you were wondering."

"Okay," Hazuki said. She then turned to the other two girls. "Did you girls get all that?"

"Yeah," Fumitsuki said, clearly not looking forwards to it.

"Mm-hmm," Mina said, clearly looking forward to it one hundred percent.

Ten minutes later, they were in the truck: Kensaku driving, Hazuki is the passenger seat, Fumitsuki sitting behind Kensaku, and Mina sitting behind Hazuki.

"Everyone all buckled in?" Kensaku asked.

"Yes," all the girls responded.

"Then, we're off," Kensaku said as he started the car and drove off.

"Uh, Mr. Kensaku?" Fumitsuki asked.

"Yes?"

"I heard it might rain later today, and I was wondering if you brought something to cover up the air conditioner when we pick it up," Fumitsuki said.

"Well, the air conditioner will be in a box, but I brought along a plastic canvas to cover the box when we do pick it up, okay?" Kensaku said.

"Okay," Fumitsuki said, looking a little relieved. At that moment, it started raining.

* * *

It's morning at the Akaishi mountain cabin, and Yayoi woke up stretching and yawning. She noticed that Susumu was not in bed with her, so she figured that he must have already woken up. She also saw that his crutches were gone. Looking at herself, she saw that she was still naked, so she reached for a bathrobe.

Over in another part of the cabin, Susumu looked out the window and saw that it was raining. He was wearing a white t-shirt and blue boxer-briefs. Just then, Yayoi entered the room, wearing the white bathrobe that she found earlier.

"Good morning, Susumu-san," Yayoi greeted him.

"Morning," Susumu said, turning around to face her. "You do realize that's my robe, right?"

"Yeah," Yayoi said. "I couldn't find my yukata. It's a little big for me, though."

"That doesn't matter right now," Susumu said. He then pointed to the window. "It's raining right now."

"I noticed," Yayoi said. "So, what are we going to do now?"

"Well, we could have breakfast," Susumu said. "I'll make it this time."

"Oh, you don't have to be so generous, Susumu," Yayoi said. "Besides, you're still injured."

"Hey, you made breakfast yesterday, so I should make it today," Susumu said. "Besides, I happen to be a pretty decent cook."

"You cook?" Yayoi asked.

"Yeah," Susumu said. "Since I live on my own, and I don't really like to eat out. Oh, and in case you're wondering, I don't make any of those 'instant' meals."

"Oh, I hate those things," Yayoi said as the two of them walked over to the 'kitchen.'

"I don't even eat microwave popcorn," Susumu said. "Or even instant ramen."

"Oh, don't even get me started with instant ramen," Yayoi said. "I don't know who came up with that idea, but instant ramen is _not_ really ramen."

"I agree wholeheartedly," Susumu said.

Susumu soon made an incredible breakfast using what little food he had available to him. Both he and Yayoi enjoyed it.

"So, now what?" Yayoi asked.

"Well, since we're pretty much stuck in the cabin all day, anything goes," Susumu said. Yayoi then started to remove the bathrobe. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! I didn't mean like that!"

"Sorry," Yayoi said, as she slipped the robe back on.

"Let's go to your bedroom…if that's okay with you," Susumu said.

"I don't mind at all," Yayoi said. The two of them then walked over to Yayoi's bedroom.

"You can go ahead and get dressed," Susumu said. "I'll go over to my room and put some more clothes on." He was about to leave when Yayoi grabbed him arm.

"Could you please stay here for a minute, Susumu-san?" Yayoi asked, with a bit of seductiveness in her voice.

"Actually, I'd like to have some time by myself, Yayoi," Susumu said. "I mean, we _did_ make love last night."

"You're not regretting last night, are you?" Yayoi asked, a bit worried.

"Of course not," Susumu said. "I enjoyed last night. I just need a bit of time to recover from last night."

"Oh, okay," Yayoi said. Susumu then left her bedroom, allowing Yayoi to remove the bathrobe.

In his room, Susumu had just put on a pair of white shorts. He was now laying in bed, reading a book from his bookcase.

"Whatcha reading?" Susumu turned to see Yayoi standing in his doorway, holding a towel in front of her body.

"Can I help you, Yayoi?" Susumu asked.

"Yes, I left my yukata in here," Yayoi said. "Is it okay if I get it?"

"Hold on a sec," Susumu said. He then turned over to that his back was facing Yayoi. "Okay, you can go get it now."

"You know, you don't have to turn away from me, Susumu," Yayoi said.

"Well, I prefer to have at least some decency on a Sunday, Yayoi," Susumu said.

"Oh, okay," Yayoi said. She then quickly dropped the towel, picked up the yukata, and put it on. "Okay, you can turn around now." Susumu then turned around and faced Yayoi.

"And you even tied up the yukata," Susumu said. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Yayoi said. She then noticed the book that he was reading. "Hey, what is that?"

"This?" Susumu said, holding up the book. "Oh, you probably wouldn't like it." Yayoi then snatched the book out of his hands. "Hey!"

"Laura's Ladies?" Yayoi read off the title.

"Yeah. I, uh…really enjoy those books," Susumu said.

"I used to have some of these," Yayoi said.

"Eh?"

"Unfortunately, I had to get rid of them when I moved across Tokyo," Yayoi admitted.

"You actually read those books?" Susumu asked.

"Yeah," Yayoi said. "Why are you surprised?"

"It's just that I've never really met a female fan of Laura's Ladies," Susumu said.

"Well, I wasn't exactly a die-hard fan like you probably are, but I did enjoy some of the stories," Yayoi said.

"Really?" Susumu said. "So, what do you know about them?"

"Well…" Yayoi said.

* * *

Over in the Sapporo jail, a plate with some food on it was placed into the jail cell of one Mutsuki Ichimonji, who was still asleep on her cot.

"Breakfast!" the guard called out to her. Moaning, Mutsuki woke up. She didn't have her glasses with her, so it was hard for her to see the breakfast tray on the floor. However, she immediately noticed that she was in jail, and the events of yesterday came into her mind again. "Hey…your name's Ichimonji, right?" the guard spoke to her.

"Uh…yes?" Mutsuki said. "Why do you ask?"

"Is your father Hikaru Ichimonji?" the guard asked her.

"Y…yes. Why?"

"Your father taught me back in high school," the guard said. "South Sapporo High, Class of '98."

"Oh, really?" Mutsuki asked.

"Yeah," the guard said. "Hey, you might as well eat up. I know it's not exactly Genghis Khan, but that's pretty much all you're getting here. I might drop by later." He then left the area. Mutsuki then stretched and yawned before walking over to the plate, which didn't look to appetizing.

"Ew," Mutsuki said. Swallowing her pride, she decides to eat the unappetizing food.

* * *

Over at the Ichimonji Ranch, Satomi was doing bench presses while Hikaru was spotting her.

"Even after twenty-nine years, you never cease to amaze me, Satomi-chan," Hikaru said.

"I aim to please, Hikaru-kun," Satomi said she put the weights back on the pins, with help from Hikaru. Hikaru then chuckled for a bit. "What?"

"I love it when you call me Hikaru-kun, Tomi-chan," Hikaru said.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Satomi asked.

"The bedroom," Hikaru said. "Now." Just before they were about to leave, the phone rang.

"Darn it," Satomi said. She then got up and walked over to the phone. "Hello?" She then smiled. "Oh, hi, Kiyoko."

"Satomi's younger sister," Hikaru whispered to no one in particular. He then noticed Satomi getting a worried look on her face.

"Kiyoko, calm down. Tell me what's wrong," she said, worriedly. "Renichi?" Her look of worry then turned into a look of shock. "Oh, my god! When'd you find out? Just a few minutes ago? I'm real sorry to hear that, Kiyo-chan. Yes? Oh, you're more than welcome to stay here for as long as you like."

"Hmm?" Hikaru said.

"Well, I'll let you go now," Satomi said to her sister. "Say hi to the kids for me, okay? I'll talk to you later. Bye." She then hung up.

"What happened?" Hikaru asked his wife.

"Hikaru, remember what you always said about Kiyoko's wife, Renichi?" Satomi asked him.

"Yes," Hikaru said. "I always told him that one of these days, he was going to get himself killed because of his freeclimbing stunts, and…" He then realized what had happened. "Oh, my God. Did he…?"

"Mm-hmm," Satomi nodded. "Just this morning."

"You know…I'm starting to feel really bad about all those times I said that he was going to get himself killed," Hikaru said.

"I know," Satomi said.

"Now, what's this I hear about you telling Kiyoko that she's more than welcome to stay here for as long as she wants?" Hikaru asked his wife suspiciously.

"Hikaru, she's my sister!" Satomi exclaimed. "I can't turn my back on my sister! She's really been through a lot these past few years—first her daughter hangs herself in the shower, then she had to take care of dad before he passed away, and now her husband." She then sighed. "Those two recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. You remember what you told Ren at the party a few months back?"

"Tomi, I feel bad enough already!" Hikaru said.

"What did you say to him, Hikaru?" Satomi asked. Hikaru then signed before speaking up again.

"I asked him if he was considering giving up freeclimbing, and he said no," he said. "I then said that if he kept it up, he wasn't going to make it to his 26th anniversary. Now, I wasn't trying to upset him, I was just concerned for his safety."

"I know," Satomi said, comforting him. "I know."

* * *

Over in the city of Kawasaki, in the Kanagawa Prefecture, the Mazda MPV was heading towards the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line bridge-tunnel. Toshi was driving, Yumiko was in the passenger's seat, Shizuka and Uzuki were sitting in the middle seats, and Natsuko and Mizuki were sitting in the back seats.

"So, you're from around here?" Yumiko asked.

"Yep," Toshi said. "Born and raised here in Kawasaki. By the way, have you considered my offer?"

"What offer?" Shizuka asked nervously.

"Well, he's offered me a job to work for them at the Delivery Service," Yumiko said. "I've thought about it, but I haven't decided whether or not to take it."

"Take all the time you need, Yumiko-san," Toshi said. Soon, Toshi paid the toll and the van was driving across the bridge-tunnel to Chiba.

Back in the Mitsubishi Challenger, they had entered the Saitama Prefecture. Kai was listening to 'Dragon Road' from the 'Birth of the 10th! Kamen Riders All Together!!' special.

"So, where exactly are we heading, Suzuki?" Kai asked.

"Niigata," Suzuki replied. "I have a place there. We should be safe for the time being. Hey, that's the theme to the 10th Kamen Rider special, isn't it?"

"Mm-hmm," Kai said. "By the way, Kisaragi, is the chest still with your parents?"

"Yes, Kaito," Kisaragi said. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Kai said.

Some time later, over in the Chiba Prefecture, the MPV was driving along, when suddenly, a roadblock appeared in front of them.

"What in the?" Toshi said.

"You think they've already figured it out?" Shizuka asked.

"I highly doubt it," Toshi said. "It's probably just a coincidence, but better safe than sorry." He then stopped just a few meters from the roadblock. A police officer then walked over to Toshi's side of the car and tapped on the glass. Toshi then rolled down the window. "Can I help you, officer?"

"Yes," the 'officer' said. He then pointed to Uzuki. "Would that person please step out of the car, please? She's under arrest."

"Under arrest? For what?" Yumiko asked.

"That's really none of your business," the 'officer' said. "Now, if you could kindly please…" Toshi then started the car and hit the gas at full blast away from them.

"Toshi, what was that for?!" Natsuko asked. "Those were police officers!"

"No, they weren't." Toshi said.

"How could you tell?" Mizuki asked.

"I could tell," Toshi said. Just then, several black Honda Accord sedans started chasing them.

"Uh, Toshi…" Uzuki said.

"Yes, I know, don't tell me," Toshi said. The passenger of one of the sedans stuck his head out and started firing at the van.

"Guns?!" Uzuki said. "WHY ARE THEY FIRING GUNS?!"

"Uzuki, control yourself," Yumiko said.

"Don't worry, I can lose them," Toshi said. "Hopefully."

"Hopefully?" the other people in the car said. In the other sedan, the passenger grabbed a machine gun that a fellow baddie passed him from the back seat. Toshi then noticed a railroad crossing about to close its gates.

"Everybody start praying," Toshi said. He then slammed on the gas and went through the crossing just seconds before the train passed through it. The other baddies tried to slam on the brakes, but ended up hitting the train, causing the front to be smashed, and the remainder to be heavily scratched by the moving train.

"Toshi, I think I speak for everyone here when I say…ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY?!" Shizuka said.

"Maybe," Toshi said. "But sometimes you have to be crazy to get the job done."

"I'll have to remember that one," Yumiko said to herself. The van continued to drive on, but was suddenly blockaded by several cars, with a few bad dudes holding machine guns, and one even holding a bazooka.

"Oh, shit," Toshi said. He then slammed on the brakes, stopping a few feet from the bad guys.

"Where's your craziness now, Toshi?" Natsuko asked.

"That last part was craziness," Toshi said. "Going through these guys…that's suicide!"

"I agree," Mizuki said. At that moment, one of the baddies walked up to the side of the van where Uzuki was sitting at. He then opened the door effortlessly, even though it was locked, and threw her out of the van.

"Was that really necessary?" Shizuka asked. The guy drew a gun on Shizuka. "Shutting up." Another man, who seemed to be the head of the baddies for this group, walked up to the fallen arts teacher.

"Spectacular stunt, but all for naught," he said. He then turned to another henchman. "Pick her up." The henchman then walked over to Uzuki and picked her up. However, while picking her up, he accidentally pulled off her 'wig.'

"What in the…?!" 'Uzuki' then turned around, revealing herself to be…

"Surprise," Kanna said. She then punched the bad guy, knocking him unconscious.

"Who in the world are you?" the head honcho asked.

"Mad Scientist Extraordinare…Kanna Togakushi," she introduced herself while putting on her glasses.

"Wait a minute…if you're not Uzuki, then that means…" he then took his cell phone out of the pocket and dialed a number. "Gai, Uzuki's in the other truck!"

"I already know," Gai said on the other side. "Why else did we agree to separate in the first place?"

"I see," the head baddie said. "So, what do we do on this end?"

"I don't really care," Gai said. "Do whatever you want with them…kill them even."

"Yes, sir," the head baddie said. He then snapped his fingers and a henchman handed him a machine gun. "Now…what should I do first?" The other cosplayers, as well as Kanna looked frightened, while Toshi put on a brave face. However, the head honcho suddenly fell down dead.

"Eh?" the six people said. Then, the other bad guys fell down dead mysteriously.

"What's going on here?" Shizuka asked.

"Two guesses, and you only need one," Toshi said.

"Oh, no!" Kanna said. "Not them!"

"Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. Ninomai!" Mizuki said.

"Now, let's get blow this joint!" Natsuko said.

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Toshi said.

Soon, they were on the road again.

"How could they have figured out the deception already?" Yumiko asked.

"Obviously, we underestimated Tagawa," Toshi said.

* * *

Back in Tokyo, where it was pouring down rain, the girls, along with Kensaku, were shopping at the Seiyu department store.

"So, you girls are going to the Giants game this Tuesday?" Kensaku asked Hazuki.

"Yeah," Hazuki said.

"Man, I wish I could go," Kensaku said. "I've been a Giants fan for as long as I can remember. Saw my very first game at the old Korauken Stadium back in '83."

"Cool," Hazuki said.

"I will tell you who is an absolute die-hard Giants fan, though," Kensaku said. "This girl I met while I was walking home one day, she was watching the Giants game on the giant screen TV, and was going absolutely crazy when they were getting hammered by Hanshin. She must have been about ten or eleven when I last saw her."

"I…see…" Hazuki said. She then turned to Mina. "Mina, do you have the coupon?"

"Huh?" Mina said, a bit distracted. "I thought you had it, Hazuki."

"I didn't take it with me," Hazuki said. She then turned to Fumitsuki.

"Don't look at me," Fumitsuki said. "I don't have it."

"Mina…did you leave the coupon at home?" Hazuki asked her younger sister.

"I guess I did, since I don't seem to have it with me," Mina said.

"MINA!"

"I'm kidding, Hazuki," Mina said, taking the coupon out of her pocket. "I have it." Hazuki then sighed in relief.

"Minazuki Rokumatsuri…don't _ever_ do that again!" Hazuki said, glaring at her sister.

"Sorry," Mina said, bowing her head.

"Now, let me get this straight," Kensaku said. "If you buy 50,000 yen or more here, you'll get three free tickets to the Giants game this Tuesday?

"Yeah, it was in the paper this morning," Hazuki said.

"Oh, I don't get the newspaper," Kensaku said. "I mean, who reads the newspaper in this modern day of internet and satellite television?"

"A lot of people," a college-age employee who happened to be passing them said. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah, we're looking for a new air conditioner," Hazuki said. "Oh, hang on a sec." She then turned to Mina and Fumitsuki. "You two can go off. We'll meet back here in an hour."

"Okay, Hazuki," Mina said.

"Here…" Hazuki said, handing both Mina and Fumitsuki a couple of 1,000-yen bills. "I heard they had an arcade there. Go knock yourselves out."

"Thanks," Fumitsuki said. And that that, the two of them went off.

One hour later…

"Did you have to pick the most expensive air conditioner, Yazakura?" Kensaku asked, after Hazuki had purchased a new, and expensive, central air conditioner.

"Hey, the guy said it was the best one he had," Hazuki said.

"But forty thousand yen?" Kensaku said.

"Look at this way…at least with a few small purchases, we get to go to the ballgame," Hazuki said. At that moment, Mina and Fumitsuki came back. Mina was holding an Xbox.

"Hazuki, can we get this?" Mina asked.

"Mina, I am not getting an Xbox," Hazuki said. "But I tell you what, you can each get a PS2 game, okay?"

"Okay," Mina said.

"I don't really play video games," Fumitsuki said.

"Well, in that case, Mina, you can get two," Hazuki said.

"All right," Mina said, heading for the video game department.

"You seriously do not play video games?" Kensaku asked Fumitsuki.

"No, I don't," Fumitsuki said. Mina then came back with a Gamecube and a GC game.

"Mina…"

"I couldn't find a PlayStation game that I liked, so I got a Gamecube and Smash Brothers Deluxe…if that's okay," Mina said.

"Okay, you can get them both," Hazuki said.

"All right!" Minazuki said.

"Aren't you spoiling her, Yazakura?" Kensaku asked her.

"Kind of," Hazuki said. "Besides, I can afford it."

"Okay…" Kensaku said.

"You know, Mitsuki," Hazuki said, turning to Fumitsuki, "if I had known that your birthday was last week, I would have gotten you something, but since I missed it…happy belated birthday." She then handed her a 10,000-yen bill.

"Hazuki, you don't really have to do this," Fumitsuki said.

"But I want to, Mitsuki. I _want_ to," Hazuki said.

"Well, thanks, Hazuki," Fumitsuki said, putting the bill in her pocket.

Soon, they were all checked out.

"And here's your voucher," the lady said handing Hazuki a voucher. "Be sure to take that to the Tokyo Dome box office for your free tickets."

"Tickets to a baseball game; you lucky bitches," the person behind them said. All three girls immediately turned around and saw who had said that.

"Mike!" Mina said.

"Hi, guys," Mike said. "And sorry that I called you all bitches."

"It's okay," Hazuki said. "So, what are you doing here? And what's with the uniform?"

"Since I'm a little bit in the red…okay, a LOT in the red, I had to take a weekend job," Mike said. "Besides, the agency I work at doesn't pay me enough."

"So, how come you didn't work yesterday?" Fumitsuki asked.

"I just started this morning," Mike said.

"And she needs to get back to work, or this'll be her last day on the job," the guy that helped Hazuki earlier said to her. He then walked off.

"Ingrate," Mike said under her breath. She then turned to the gang. "I guess I'll help you load your stuff into your car then."

* * *

Over in a somewhat desolate part of Japan, the Challenger was driving along.

"I think we actually fooled them," 'Kanna' said, who was actually Uzuki Shitennou in disguise.

"Don't be too sure," Suzuki said. A helicopter was secretly flying over the Challenger.

"Kaito…have you noticed that…" Kisaragi started to say.

"That helicopter has been following us for the past ten minutes," Kai finished for her. As soon as the helicopter was directly over the truck, four figures, one of whom was Gai, leapt down from the copter and landed directly on the truck.

"Ah!" Uzuki screamed, startling her.

"What are these guys, ninjas?!" Suzuki asked rhetorically. The guy hanging on Suzuki's side then burst through the window and grabbed him. He was then thrown out the window, and landed roughly on the ground.

"SUZUKI!" Uzuki screamed. Just then, another baddie broke into the car on Kisaragi's side. She managed to struggle with him successfully until the other baddy crawled over to assist and they threw Kisaragi out of the truck. "KISARAGI!"

"Don't worry, Uzuki," Kai said. "She's one tough woman." He then noticed that Gai was reaching towards him. "Uzuki, when I give you the signal, I want you to jump out of the truck."

"What are you planning, Kai?" Uzuki nervously asked him.

"Just trust me," Kai said. He then turned off the road and headed towards a cliff edge. "Ready?" Uzuki nodded. "NOW!" She then opened the door and jumped out of the car, rolling on the ground to break her fall. She turned to see the truck heading for the cliff. "Kai!" Over on the Challenger, Gai was the only 'ninja' still on the vehicle, with Kai heading full speed ahead for the cliff. Gai then punched through the windshield, shattering it, but it didn't have much of an effect on Kai. Then, just before the car went over the edge, he jumped out of the car, barely able to grab onto the cliff and seeing his car fall down the mountain and crashing onto the ground, exploding on impact. He did manage to pull himself up and onto the edge, taking a second to catch his breath.

"My insurance company's never going to believe this," Kai said. Just then, he saw a figure fly over him and land several feet away from him. It was Gai Tagawa. He had somehow survived the fall and managed to leap up the high cliff. Gai simply smirked upon seeing Kai lying on the ground.

"Oh, no!" Uzuki said. Gai then turned to her.

"I'll deal with you later," he said. He then walked over to the semi-conscious Kai, where he was struggling to get up. Uzuki then managed to pick herself up and walked over to Kisaragi, who had already stood up.

"Are you okay, Kisaragi?" Uzuki asked.

"I'm fine, Uzuki," Kisaragi said. "Just a scratch." The girls then turned to face Suzuki, who was still unconscious.

"SUZUKI!" Uzuki said. "We've got to help him." Kisaragi nodded as the two of them ran over to Suzuki. In the mean time, Gai had walked up to Kai, who had almost gotten himself completely up. He then kicked him right in the face, causing him to fall back on the ground.

"Fool," Gai said, before spitting on Kai's body. Just then, Kai kip-upped before punching Gai right in the face, causing him to startle onto the ground. As he was picking himself up, he put his hand on his mouth, which had blood trickling from it. "It seems I underestimated you."

"Don't mess with Kaito Yoshida," Kai said. He then threw his bandana on the ground.

"Bring it on," Gai said. The two then started fighting, using various martial arts skills, with neither one really gaining the upper hand. In the mean time, Uzuki and Kisaragi had made it to Suzuki, who had not regained consciousness.

"Takashi…" Uzuki said nervously.

"He might be bleeding internally," Kisaragi said. Uzuki looked at her with fear in her eyes. "Just a suggestion." Over with the guys, they were still getting it on.

"You're good," Kai said.

"You're not bad, yourself," Gai said. "But don't think that you're going to beat me."

"We'll just see about that," Kai said. The two then continued fighting with each other. Over with the girls, Uzuki started shaking Suzuki back to consciousness.

"Takashi!" Uzuki said. "Please wake up, Takashi!" At the fight, the two were taking each other to the edge of the cliff. Kai found himself near the edge and nearly loss his balance, but quickly regained it. However, just as he turned around, Gai have him a dropkick, causing him to fall over the cliff edge.

"Kai!" Kisaragi called out. As Kai was falling, Gai regained his balance and walked over to the frightened girls. Just then, Suzuki's eyes snapped open and he quickly stood up and ran towards the cliff, where he jumped off.

"It's no use," Gai said. "That guy's already dead by now. Now, then…where were we? Ah, yes. You must be Uzuki Shitennou."

"Who wants to know?" Uzuki asked.

"That's really none of your business," Gai said to her. "Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way."

"What do you mean?" Uzuki asked him.

"The easy way is your surrender yourself, and come with me. The hard was is this…" Gai said as he pulled out a jet injector. "I drug you and drag your ass all the way back to Kyoto. Your choice." Uzuki just stared at him with fear in her eyes, but then a mysterious sound was heard. "Hmm?" Gai then turned around to find a blue figure leaping from the bottom of the cliff carrying a familiar bandana boy. Just then, the blue guy threw a shuriken at Gai's hand, causing him to scream a bit and drop the injector. The blue guy then landed perfectly, and he gently set Kai back on the ground.

"Kaito!" Kisaragi said in a surprised tone. She then stood up and ran towards him before jumping onto him and kissing him intensely. After about 20 seconds, Kai gently pushed her off.

"Kisa-chan…I kinda need to breathe here,"

"Sorry," Kisaragi said. Uzuki then turned to the blue figure who 'threw off his costume,' revealing himself to be…

"TAKASHI!!"

"You were expecting someone else?" Suzuki asked rhetorically. Back to the lovebirds, Kisaragi was laying on Kai's chest.

"I was afraid that I had lost you," Kisaragi said, crying a little.

"You're never going to lose me, baby," Kai said. Gai then looked at his hand and pulled the shuriken out of his hand. He looked and saw that it was bleeding a bit.

"But…but how?" he asked, glaring at Suzuki.

"You underestimate the power of a professional Cosplayer," Suzuki said.

"I wasn't allowed to watch that crap when I was younger," Gai said.

"You weren't allowed, or you never watched it?" Suzuki asked him.

"Both," Gai said. He then looked at his hand again, which was still bleeding. "You know the old saying, he who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day." He then ran off, but quickly turned towards Uzuki. "You know, it's a shame. We could have been brother and sister, Uzuki-chan." She then gasped as everyone saw the helicopter heading back towards Gai, who grabbed the rope with his good hand and rode off.

"That was for you, Hiroshi," Suzuki said, pointing to the heavens. Kai then chuckled as he stood up. He then walked to the cosplayer.

"Thanks, man," Kai said.

"No problem," Suzuki said. The two then gave each other a forearm bash.

"I'm really sorry about your car, Kaito-san," Uzuki said.

"It's okay, Uzuki," Kai said. "It's just a car. Your life is much more important."

"_Arigato_," Uzuki said. "So…how are we going to get out of here?"

"Like this," Kisaragi said. "TAXI!"

"Yeah, like a taxicab is going to show up in the middle of nowhere," Uzuki said. At that moment, a taxi shows up from seemingly out of nowhere. "I stand corrected."

Soon, everyone was in the cab, with Kai in the front, and the others in the back.

"So, where to?" the cabbie asked.

"Here's the address," Suzuki said as he handed the cabbie a piece of paper.

"Niigata, eh?" the cabbie said. "Well, we're in Gunma now, but it really is no problem at all. I'll get you there as quickly and carefully as possible."

"Thanks," Suzuki said. The cab then drove off towards Niigata.

"Hey, can I borrow one of you guys' phones?" Kai asked. "My phone was in the truck when it went over the cliff."

"You can use mine," Suzuki said, handing it to him.

"Arigato," Kai thanked him. He then dialed a number and waiting for a response. "Yeah, this is Kai," he said to the person on the phone. "Listen, I need you to look up some information for me…"

* * *

Back in the mountain cabin, in Susumu's room…

"Wow, you really know your Laura's Ladies," Susumu said. "Even for a so-called 'non-fan' like yourself."

"Well…" Yayoi blushed a bit.

"Hey, I'm going to go check outside," Susumu said. "Maybe it's stopped raining. If it has, we can go out for a bit."

"Go out?" Yayoi said. "But I thought…"

"Yayoi, the spiritual journey's been shot to shit now," Susumu said. "Sorry if I swore."

"It's okay," Yayoi said. "I swore a lot in high school myself."

"You know, I'm learning things about you that probably refute the fact that you're a miko, Miss Sanzenin," Susumu said as he was leaving the room. As soon as he shut the door, Yayoi started loosing the belt on her yukata.

Once in the main room, Susumu looked out the window, and saw that it was still raining a bit. He then went back into his bedroom.

"It's still raining, Yayo…" he said just before he noticed that Yayoi had slightly loosened the belt on her yukata. "What are you planning?"

"You know, Susumu-kun," Yayoi said, now acting _very_ seductively, "I'm feeling a little kinky right now."

"I thought you were from Nagoya," Susumu said. He then realized what she said. "YAYOI!"

"What do you say?" Yayoi said seductively.

"Uh…maybe another time, Yayoi," Susumu said. "At least, anything of the intercourse kind."

"So, what do we do now, Susumu-kun?" Yayoi asked. "I'm still a bit in the mood, if you know what I mean."

"I do," Susumu said. Yayoi then started to loosen her yukata some more. "Yayoi, I've got a better idea. Let's head over to the bathroom."

"Oh?"

"Trust me on this one," Susumu said.

Soon, the two of them were in the bathroom.

"So, what's your good idea?" Yayoi asked.

"I think we should give each other a sponge bath," Susumu said.

"Hmm?"

"I read it's a way of expressing pleasure without sexual intercourse," Susumu told her. "At least, that's what it said in a magazine."

"Okay," Yayoi said. "So, what do we do first?"

"Jan-ken-pon." Susumu said. Jan-ken-pon is another name for rock-paper-scissors.

"Jan-ken-pon?" Yayoi said.

"To determine who bathes who first," Susumu said.

"Okay," Yayoi said. "I want you to know, I haven't played this since I was a teenager."

"That's fine," Susumu said. The two then did the proper gestures before revealing their choices. Susumu picked rock, Yayoi picked scissors. "Rock crushes scissors. I win."

"So, what does that mean?" Yayoi asked in mock confusion.

"It means that I bathe you first," Susumu said.

"Okay," Yayoi said. He then turned his back to her as she was about to undress. "You know, you don't have to be so modest for me."

"Yayoi, I already know what you look like, so I don't really need a reminder," Susumu said.

"Fine…but I'd like you to take off your shirt, please," Yayoi said.

"If you say so," Susumu said. He then removed his shirt, and waited for Yayoi to be completely undressed before he turned back around.

"I'm ready now," Yayoi said. He then turned around and saw Yayoi sitting on the floor. He then knelt down, which was tough, considering his ankle, and started washing her.

"So, Yayoi…tell me more about your seductive days in high shcool," Susumu said.

"Well," Yayoi started, "I had a tendency to flirt with some of the male students, and even some of the teachers."

"Really?" Susumu said, obviously interesting him.

"In fact, I even seduced my best friend's father, who was one of my teachers," Yayoi said.

"Are you serious?" Susumu asked.

"Mm-hmm," Yayoi admitted. "It almost destroyed our friendship, but we managed to make up."

"Ahh."

"Other times, I would 'accidentally' walk into the men's changing room for gym class and start changing there," Yayoi said.

"Accidentally?" Susumu said. "Oh, I get it now. Tell me more. This is getting interesting."

"Oh, I don't know," Yayoi said. "This next one's a bit embarrassing."

"Come on," Susumu said. "I once ran through the school naked after some jokers stole my clothes and put the towels in the cafeteria."

"Oh, really?" Yayoi said, blushing a bit.

"Yeah," Susumu said. "Most embarrassing moment of my life."

"Well, when you put it that way," Yayoi said. "I had just gotten back from summer break during my junior year, and I forgot to bring my swimsuit with me. Turns out, in gym class, we were going to the pool, so rather than call home and ask my mom to bring my suit to the school, I just grinned and bore it, and walked into the swimming class naked."

"Wow," Susumu said. "And you didn't get expelled for that?"

"Well, I got a suspension, but that was it," Yayoi said.

"I find that hard to believe," Susumu said.

After a few more minutes, Yayoi's bath was finished.

"Your turn," Yayoi said seductively.

"Give me a minute," Susumu said as he stood up. As soon as he was up, Yayoi quickly turned around and yanked his shorts down in one big pull. "Y…YAYOI!" He quickly covered his privates with his hands, blushing profusely.

"Come on, Susumu," Yayoi said seductively. "I've already seen it, you know."

"Yeah, but…I could have done it myself," Susumu said, still blushing and covering his privates.

"I know," Yayoi said seductively.

Okay, let's go on to the next scene.

* * *

Back in jail, Mutsuki was sitting against the wall on the floor. She had an unreadable look on her face. Just then, the guard that stopped by to give her breakfast knocked on the door.

"Is my father coming to get me?" Mutsuki asked unemotionally.

"I already told you, Ichimonji," the guard said. "You don't get out until tomorrow morning. Plus, we have strict orders not to allow any visitors."

"Why are you here, then?" Mutsuki asked.

"I'm just coming to check on you," he said. "Make sure you don't kill yourself."

"Kill myself?" Mutsuki said, almost chuckling. "Why in the world would I kill myself?"

"Well, you've been placed under a watch for your entire visit here," the guard said. "Just a precaution."

"Just because I punch a cop in the face, I'm public enemy number one?" Mutsuki said.

"No," the guard said. "But I heard from your mother that you haven't been feeling well recently."

"True, I had a bit of a cold earlier in the week, but that was it…seriously," Mutsuki said.

"If you say so," the guard said. "I'll be out here for another two hours."

"Swell," Mutsuki said. She then slumped down so that she was laying entirely on the cold floor.

Meanwhile, in the city of Sapporo, Takahiro Kobayashi was talking in a phone box.

"I'm real sorry to hear that, Mrs. Ichimonji," Taky said. "I take it you're going to tell Mutsuki after you pick her up tomorrow morning?"

"Yes," Satomi said at her house. "I don't know how she's going to react since the last time she saw him was at her college graduation six years ago."

"I see," Taky said.

"Listen, Takahiro," Satomi said. "I need you to do me a favor. My sister's coming in for a few days on Friday, so I need you to pick her up from the airport…that is, if you still have time off by then."

"Well, I'm not due back until the 22nd, so yeah, I can pick her up," Taky said. "What does she look like?"

"Well, she looks like Mutsuki, only with black hair…" Satomi started to explain.

"Kinda like you did when you were younger, right?" Taky asked.

"Don't even go there," Satomi said. "You know, you do have a point. In fact, when we were younger, people sometimes confused us for identical twins, even though I'm six years older than her. Plus, she wears glasses and I don't."

"I forgot. Is she a teacher?" Taky asked.

"Nah, she helps run a restaurant in Sendai with a couple of her friends from college," Satomi said.

"Ah, so the family eats out a lot, eh?" Taky asked.

"On the contrary," Satomi said. "Since Kiyoko's probably the best cook out of all of us, she makes the most magnificent dinners for her kids."

"I see," Taky said. He then saw a 14-year-old girl (about the same age as Minazuki) knocking on the glass of the phone box. "Listen, I've got to go. I'll see ya later, Mrs. Ichimonji."

"Okay," Satomi said. "See you later, Takahiro." She then hung up. Hikaru walked up to her.

"Kobayashi?" he asked.

"Yes," Satomi said. "He was asking about Mutsuki, but I told him that she couldn't have any visitors. That…and I told him about Renichi."

"Ah," Hikaru said. "You know, Kiyoko's going to be here in a few days. Are you sure we can take her in?"

"Hikaru, we live in a hotel," Satomi said. "Okay, it used to be a hotel, but we have more than enough room for her."

"Are her kids coming?" Hikaru asked.

"No, it'll be just her," Satomi said. "Kiyo-chan has a friend of her's that'll be watching them while she's here."

"I see," Hikaru said. "You know, we need to do something to get this thing off of our minds for a bit."

"Private bath?" Satomi asked.

"Race ya to it," Hikaru said.

"You're on," Satomi said.

* * *

Back at the condo, where it was still raining outside, Shinichi and Kensaku were getting ready to install the air conditioner.

"This is going to take a while," Shinichi said. Kensaku then wiped his brow.

"Whew, it's still hot in here!" he said. "Is your thermostat working?"

"I don't know," Hazuki said. "What's it read on there?"

"Hold on, let me check," Kensaku said as she walked over to the thermostat. "It says 35 degrees." (95 degrees Fahrenheit)

"THIRTY-FIVE?!" Fumitsuki and Mina said simultaneously.

"Even though it's raining outside, it's still unbelievably hot in here," Shinichi said. "As soon as this A.C. is all plugged it, it should cool down pretty quickly."

"I cannot take another minute in these clothes," Hazuki said. "I'm going to go change into my swimsuit."

"I hope it's not one of those revealing swimsuits that's barely legal," Shinichi said.

"Don't worry, it isn't," Hazuki said. She then turned to the other girls. "You two should change into your swimsuits as well." She then headed for her bedroom to change.

"Okay," Mina said. Fumitsuki started blushing. "Fumitsuki?"

"Well, you see…I don't really have a swimsuit," Fumitsuki said. "Actually, that's a lie. I have a swimsuit, it's just…"

"It's okay, Fumitsuki," Mina said. She then grabbed her and dragged her into her bedroom. "Come on, let's go get changed!"

"M…Mina!" Fumitsuki said as she was being dragged away. Kensaku and Shinichi then stared at each other.

"Okay…" both of the guys said.

In Mina's bedroom, Fumitsuki was going into her baggage to find her swimsuit.

"Do you want to go first, or should I go first?" Fumitsuki asked.

"I think we should both change at the same time," Mina said as she started removing her shirt. "That way, we'll get done faster."

"Wha…what are you doing, Minazuki?" Fumitsuki asked nervously.

"I'm changing, Fumitsuki," Mina said. "And if you want this to be done as soon as possible, you should change, too."

"Fine," Fumitsuki said. She set her glasses on the dresser just before she removed her shirt.

Soon, all three girls were changed into their swimsuits. Hazuki was wearing a _very_ revealing red bikini. Minazuki was wearing a green tankini (combination tank top and bikini). And Fumitsuki? Well, she was wearing her swimsuit from school. Did I mention that she's blushing profusely?

"Now I see why you were embarrassed," Kensaku said.

"Let's go play the new Gamecube I got," Mina said.

"Do we have to?" Fumitsuki moaned.

"Yes," Hazuki, Kensaku, and Shinichi said.

"Damn," Fumitsuki said. And that that, the two younger girls went over to the living room to set up the Gamecube.

"Anything I can do to help?" Hazuki asked the two guys.

"You can stop distracting us with that outfit," Kensaku said.

"Yeah," Shinichi said.

"Fine," Hazuki said. "I'll just take a nap." She then walked over to her bedroom.

In the living room, Mina had finished setting up the Gamecube, and was getting ready to play Smash Brothers Deluxe.

"Are you sure you don't want to join me, Fumitsuki?" Mina asked. "It's much more fun with two."

"I'll just watch you for a bit," Fumitsuki said. "Maybe I'll play later."

"Okay," Mina said. "It's nice to hear that you're going to try this."

"Yeah," Fumitsuki said. "Hey, Mina…"

"Yeah?"

"About what happened earlier…"

"Look, I already said I was sorry," Mina said, blushing a bit.

"No, it's not that," Fumitsuki said. "It's just…what does Chitose think about me?"

"Eh?" Mina said, surprised. "Why do you ask all of a sudden?"

"Oh, no reason," Fumitsuki said, turning away. Mina then figured it out.

"You were dreaming about him when I was waking you up, right?" Mina asked. Fumitsuki then blushed profusely upon hearing that. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"Yeah…" Fumitsuki said. "Promise you won't tell anyone, will you, Minazuki?"

"I promise," Mina said.

Meanwhile, the guys were installing the air conditioner.

"Can you believe those three are going to the Giants game this Tuesday?" Kenasku asked Shinichi.

"Eh, I'm not really a Giants fan," Shinichi said. Kensaku just glared at him. "I mean, I like them, but my absolute favorite team is Seibu."

"Are you kidding me?" Kensaku said. "There are three teams that I absolutely loathe: Hanshin, Nippon Ham, and Seibu."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Shinichi said.

In the living room, Fumitsuki was finally coaxed into playing Smash Brothers with Minazuki.

"Okay, so now what?" Fumitsuki asked.

"Well, you pick a character," Mina said. "There's Koopa, Captain Falcon, Donkey Kong, Fox McCloud, the Ice Climbers, Kirby, Link, Mario, Ness, Peach, Pikachu, Samus Aran, Yoshi, and Zelda."

"Okay," Fumitsuki said. "And can we pick the same one?"

"Of course," Mina said. She then picked Zelda as her character.

"All right," Fumitsuki said. She picked Mario as her character. They played the Hyrule Temple stage. During the gameplay, Mina pulled off a trick. "Wha…how did you do that?!"

"Do what?"

"You turned Zelda into that kunoichi," Fumitsuki said.

"First off, she's not a kunoichi, she's a Sheikah," Mina explained. "Secondly, that's one of her special skills. She can transform into Sheik and back again."

"Okay…" Fumitsuki said.

Ten minutes later, Shinichi and Kensaku had the air conditioner completely installed. In her bedroom, Hazuki felt the cool air coming from the vents in the ceiling.

"Hmm, that feels to good," Hazuki muttered in her sleep.

Over in the living room, the two other girls were still playing Smash Brothers, with Mina kicking Fumitsuki's butt pretty much every time. Kensaku and Shinichi then walked into the room.

"Okay, it's working now," Shinichi said. "Ken and I are going to put the old one in the trash."

"Thanks," Mina said, not taking her eyes off the screen.

"I've got to get back," Kensaku said. "I promised Yuki-chan that I'd fix her bike."

"Yeah, and I need to get to my next job," Shinichi said. He then turned to Minazuki. "Oh, Minazuki…"

"Yes, Shinichi-san?"

"Could you please tell your sister that I won't charge her for the installation of the air conditioner today, but she still owes me a grand for the installation yesterday," Shinichi said.

"Okay," Mina said. "I'll go tell her now." She then left the living room.

"Mina, wait a minute!" Fumitsuki said. She then turned to the other guys, who were on their way out. "Where are you guys going?"

"Weren't you listening?" Shinichi asked. "We have things to do."

"Yeah," Kensaku said. "Tell Hazuki that she doesn't need to pay me for my help."

"I'll be sure to let her know that," Fumitsuki said. As soon as the two men were gone, she turned off the Gamecube and walked over to Hazuki room. On the way there, she passed Minazuki, who had just left.

"Uh, Fumitsuki…you do not want to go in there," Mina said.

"But I need to tell her something," Fumitsuki said. She then walked over to the door and opened it. This, obviously, woke Hazuki up.

"Hey, can't a girl have a moment to sleep here?" she asked as the blanket that was covering her fell to her lap, exposing her breasts.

"YAAAAH!" Fumitsuki screamed.

* * *

Over at a hotel room in the Saitama Prefecture, Gai was wrapping a bandage around his wounded hand when his cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Gai." The person on the other side was Nobuyuki Tagawa, Gai's father.

"Otou-sama," Gai said.

"Did you get Uzuki?" he asked.

"I was close," Gai admitted. "Don't worry, otou-sama. I am coming up with a contingency plan as we speak."

"I hope you are, _musuko_," Nobuyuki said from his hideout in Kyoto. "If my faith in you has been misplaced…"

"You have nothing to worry about, _chichi_," Gai said. "Everything is under control." He then pulled out a mysterious bottle from inside his bag.

"Very well," Nobuyuki said. "Oh, one other thing, Gai. Should anything happen to me, you have my permission to kill Uzuki."

"Of course, _otou-san_," Gai said. "_Ciao_." He then hung up. He then laughed evilly.

Meanwhile, at a restaurant in the city of Niigata, Kisaragi and Uzuki were sitting at one table, and were looking at another table, where Suzuki and Kaito were sitting at. The two men were talking.

"How long have they been talking?" Uzuki asked Kisaragi.

"Two hours and forty minutes," Kisaragi replied.

"Wow," Uzuki said. "They've really gotten to know each other."

"Or drive each other crazy," Kisaragi said.

Over at Suzuki and Kai's table, the two were testing each other's knowledge of various forms of media, mostly tokusatsu.

"Okay, try this," Suzuki said. "What roles did Rika Matsumoto play in four consecutive Sentai series from 1989 to 1992?"

"Suzumari Bōma (Bell Chime Violent Demon), and later on the Omamori Bōma (Amulent Violent Demon) in Turboranger, Arthur G6 in Fiveman, Gomi (Garbage) Jigen, a.k.a. Pooh-tan, in Jetman, and Dora Reiger in Zyuranger," Kai answered.

"Wow," Suzuki said. "You're good."

"Try this," Kai said. "Who was Machineman, and who played him?"

"Ken Takase, portrayed by Osamu Sakuta," Suzuki answered. "Who played his girlfriend?"

"Kiyomi Tsukada," Kai said. "Who later played Anri in Juspion."

"Touché," Suzuki said.

"Who is the only actor to play more than one Metal Hero?" Kai asked him.

"Hiroshi Watari," Suzuki answered. "Den Iga, a.k.a. Sharivan, and Yousuke Jou, a.k.a. Spielban. Who played the deputies of the three Uchuu Keiji (Space Sherriffs)?"

"Wakiko Kano as Mimi, Gavan's deputy and later wife. Yumiko Furuya as Lily, Sharivan's deputy. And Naomi Morinaga as Annie, Shaider's deputy," Kai said. "You're talking to the man who's seen every episode of the Uchuu Keiji trilogy numerous times."

"Including the special?" Suzuki asked.

"Including the special," Kai said. At that moment, a waitress with dark blue hair arrived at the table.

"Would you gentlemen like anything to drink, please?" the waitress asked them.

"Two space specials, please," Suzuki said. "On the rocks."

"Thank you, sir," the waitress said. "Coming right up." She then left the table to get their drinks.

"Do you drink, Yoshida-san?" Suzuki asked him.

"Not usually, but I'll make an exception in this case," Kai said. "And please, call me Kai."

"Sure thing, Kai," Suzuki said.

"You know…I want to thank you again for saving me back there, Suzuki," Kai said.

"Don't mention it," Suzuki said. "And please, call me Takashi."

"You sure about that?" Kai asked. "I heard you don't like to be called Takashi."

"I prefer to be called 'Suzuki,' but I let close personal friends call me that," Suzuki said.

"Does that include Uzuki?" Kai asked him.

"Yes," Suzuki said. "She's my Sister from Another Mother."

"Nothing more?" Kai said, getting curious.

"Well…that's between me and Uzuki," Suzuki said, winking.

"Right…" Kai said. "You know something? That waitress that's serving us reminded me of Yuri from Dirty Pair."

"Really?" Suzuki said. "I always thought Kei was hotter."

"Same here," Kai said. "Funny story. One time, Kisaragi came over to my apartment, and she had dyed her hair pink because I told her that Kei of the Dirty Pair was hot, and afterwards, I told her not to change a thing about her, because she was fine the way she was."

"I see," Suzuki said. "How long have you two known each other?"

"Seven years," Kai said. "We met the week before Christmas, 1995. Shortly afterwards, we started dating. We were together for about four years before our careers took us in different directions. I didn't see her again until two days ago. And you can only guess how we celebrated our first night back together."

"I really do not want to know," Suzuki said. ''

"Let me ask you something, Takashi," Kai said. "Have you and Uzuki ever…you know?"

"NO!" Suzuki said, which startled some of the nearly patrons. "Of course not!"

"Just asking, man," Kai said. "Hey…you think that Spielban and Diana ever…"

"Of course not," Suzuki said. "They treated each other like brother and sister, nothing more."

"Sure," Kai said. Just then, the waitress arrived with their drinks. "You know…we should have met years ago."

"Well, here's to an everlasting friendship," Suzuki said.

"Kanpai," Kai said. The two then clanked glasses and drank down the entire contents. "Wow!"

"Wow is right!" Suzuki said.

Over at the girls' table…

"They're definitely enjoying themselves," Uzuki said.

"Mm-hmm," Kisaragi said. Just then, someone's cell phone rang. "Mine." She then answered it. "Hello?"

"Kisaragi?" the person on the other side said.

"Oh, hi, Toshi," Kisaragi said. "So, where are you guys at right now?"

"Well, we had to evade a couple of bad dudes through several prefectures, but we're at my brother's place in Fukushima," Toshi said.

"Is it nice?" Kisaragi asked.

"Well…I guess you could say that," Toshi said as he looked out of the window, showing him at the penthouse of an apartment building.

"I see," Kisaragi said. Uzuki then grabbed the phone from Kisaragi.

"Satoshi-san, are the others okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, we're all here, Uzuki-san," he said, looking at the female Cosplayers and Kanna, who were playing poker. "And, please, call me Toshi."

"Okay, Toshi-san," Uzuki said.

"Can I have the phone back, please?" Kisaragi asked, glaring at her.

"Oops," Uzuki said. She then handed the phone back to her. "Sorry about that, Kisaragi." Kisargi then put the phone back to her ear.

"I'm sorry about that, Toshi," Kisaragi apologized.

"Nah, it's okay," Toshi said. "Listen, I've got to go. I'll call you guys later. By the way, what happened to Kai's phone?"

"Uh…I'll tell you later," Kisargi said. "Sayonara." She then hung up and glared at Uzuki. "Did you have to do that?"

"I said I was sorry," Uzuki said.

"It's okay, Uzuki. I forgive you," Kisaragi said.

Back at the men's table, Kai and Suzuki had just received their second helpings of Space Specials.

"I still say that Kamen Rider Nigo is underappreciated," Kai said. "Same with Kamen Rider BLACK."

"I agree," Suzuki said. "BLACK was a much better series than RX, and if it hadn't been for Nigo, the whole series would have been over after only 13 weeks."

"Yeah," Suzuki said.

"Plus, Nigo was the first to have his own henshin movement," Kai said. "I don't understand why they had to have Hongo driving at high speeds in order for him to transform into Ichigo. Although, they gave him the henshin moment after he recovered from the accident."

"Kaito, I will say this…even though BLACK was a better series, RX did have the Sempai Riders appearing in it," Suzuki said.

"You do have a point there," Kai said. "So…where are we all staying?"

"Well, I've arranged a hotel for you and Kisaragi to stay at," Suzuki said. "I'm sure you'll like the accommodations."

"Yeah, but where will you and Uzuki be staying?" Kai asked.

"I have a place of residence here, so we'll be fine," Suzuki said.

"Nice," Kai said. "How about we come over first thing tomorrow morning and we all have breakfast there?"

"That sounds reasonable," Suzuki said. Over at the girls table, Uzuki was glancing over at the boys.

"Uzuki…you're flirting with Takashi, aren't you?" Kisaragi asked her.

"Wha?! Don't…don't be ridiculous!" Uzuki said, stuttering a bit.

"I can tell, Uzuki Shitennou," Kisaragi said. "You're in love with him, aren't you?"

"Well…yeah, I guess I am," Uzuki said, blushing profusely.

"How long have you had a crush on him?" Kisaragi asked.

"Ever since I first met him nearly twelve years ago," Uzuki said. "But I don't know if he feels the same way about me."

"Well, ask him," Kisaragi said.

"Hmm…I don't know…" Uzuki said, nervously. "Hey, how exactly did you know about Takashi, Kisaragi?"

"I read about him in a magazine," Kisaragi said. At that moment, a waiter with dark red hair and brown eyes walked up to the table.

"Can I get you ladies anything to drink?" he asked them.

"No, thank you," Kisaragi said.

"No thanks," Uzuki said.

"Okay," the waiter said. "Just thought I would ask." He then left the table. At that moment, Kai and Suzuki walked up from their table to the girls'.

"We're about ready to go now," Kai said.

"Good," Kisaragi said. "Where are we staying?"

"You and Kaito will be staying at a luxurious hotel, while Uzuki and I will be staying at my place,"

"Ah, yes, your Niigata residence," Kisaragi said. "Just one question…are the things that they say about your residences true?"

"Yes, they are, Kisaragi," Suzuki said.

"What things?" Kai asked. Suzuki then whispered in his ear.

"I own several costumes of tokusatsu heroes, and some of them…have a tendency to come to life on their own," Suzuki said.

"So you mean you sometimes have real people in the costumes rather than dummies?" Kai asked.

"Great, now you've ruined it for the people out there," Suzuki said. "Let's go, Uzuki." And with that, the two Cosplayers left.

"What?" Kai said. He then turned to Kisaragi. "What did I say?"

* * *

Okay, a brief explanation about what happened after that sudden cut-off. Basically, after Yayoi gave Susumu his bath, he rushed out of the bathroom as quickly, and as carefully, as he could, heading to his bedroom and hiding under the bed sheets. Of course, he grabbed his underwear and put them on while heading for the room. Now, how he did that with a bad ankle, even I don't know. Anyways, Yayoi tried to open the door to his room, but found it locked. Giving up, she went back to her room and went to sleep. Anyways…

Back at the Fukushima penthouse, Toshi was chatting with his older brother, Kichiro Miyamoto.

"Hey, thanks again for letting us stay here, Kichi," he said.

"No problem, Toshi," 'Kichi' said. "You know, you're welcome to stay here for as long as you want."

"Thanks, bro," Toshi said. "Say, you don't mind the fact that there are five attractive ladies staying here with me, do you?"

"Of course not," Kichi said. "Hopefully, you'll be able to settle down with one of them."

"Well, three of them are lesbians, one of them I'd rather not have anything to do with, and the other, well…let's just say the door's open," Toshi said.

"I see," Kichi said. "Well, remember, if you need me, or anyone else, we'll be downstairs."

"Okay," Toshi said. As he was about to go back upstairs, Kichi called him back.

"Toshi…I kinda need your help with something," he said.

"Oh?"

"My housekeeper's off for the week, plus, as we both know, my wife isn't exactly the best cook in the world," Kichi explained.

"I know," Toshi said. "And so does my digestive system."

"So, I was wondering if you'd like to make us all breakfast tomorrow morning," Kichi said.

"You got it," Toshi said. "Besides, it's been a while since the kids have had my world-famous omelettes."

"I'll be expecting extra tomatoes in mine," Kichi said, pronouncing it to-mah-to.

"Okay," Toshi said, heading up the stairs to the second floor of the penthouse. He then entered the main room, where he found the five girls playing poker.

"Take it," Natsuko said, putting her cards down, and Shizuka took the contents of the pot to her side of the table.

"I don't believe it," Mizuki said. "That's five hands in a row. How does she do it?"

"I cheat," Shizuka said. Everyone then glared at her. "I'm kidding! I'm kidding!"

"You girls look like you're having fun," Toshi said.

"Oh, hi, Satoshi," Yumiko said.

"Girls, please," Toshi said. "You can call me Toshi. It's all right."

"Okay, Toshi," Yumiko said. "So, how's everyone else?"

"They made it to Niigata safe and sound," Toshi said. He then noticed Kanna in a depressed mood. "You don't look too well."

"I suck at poker," Kanna said.

"Oh, well," Toshi said. "You'll learn quickly. So, what are you girls going to do now?"

"Actually…" Yumiko started to speak, but Shizuka interrupted her.

"We're going to play strip poker," she said. Everyone immediately blushed at that, especially Toshi.

"I'm, uh…I'm going to leave now," Toshi said as he went over to one of the bedrooms.

"Hold it right there, Miyamoto," Shizuka said. "You're going to be dealing for us."

"N-nani?!" Toshi said, still blushing profusely.

"I'll give you 5 G's if you do this for us," Shizuka said.

"Five thousand, are you kidding me?" Toshi asked. "I'd rather go on Sasuke."

"We'll remove your manly part if you don't participate," Shizuka said. Toshi immediately gasped and put his hands on his crotch.

"Is…isn't that procedure illegal?" Toshi asked nervously.

"Maybe in New Zealand, but not here," Shizuka said.

"Shizuka, enough," Yumiko said. "Toshi, just do this, please." Sighing, Toshi gave up.

"Okay," Toshi said. He then walked over to the table and sat down. "I don't have to strip myself, do I?"

"No," Shizuka said. "All you have to do is deal the cards."

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm out of here," Kanna said. As soon as she stood up, she was forced back into her chair by Natsuko and Mizuki.

"Sit down, Togakushi!" Mizuki said.

"You're doing this, whether you want to or not," Natsuko said.

"Crap," Kanna said.

"Okay, here are the rules," Shizuka said. "Five card straight. Those that do not have a winning hand must forfeit one article of clothing. Pairs of clothing, such as socks, count as one article. Glasses count as clothing as well."

"Can I go put my contacts in, please?" Yumiko asked.

"Sure," Shizuka said. Yumiko then stood up and went into the bathroom to put her contacts in. Ten minutes later, she came out, wearing her contacts.

"Wow," Toshi said.

"What?" Yumiko asked.

"Oh, nothing," Toshi said. "It's just, you look good with your glasses off."

"Really?" Yumiko asked.

"Yeah," Toshi said.

"Okay, now can we start this, please?" Shizuka asked impatiently.

"Yes, sir," Toshi said, mock-saluting while doing so. He then shuffled the cards and dealt them to each of the players.

(at the table, moving clockwise: Toshi—dealer, Yumiko, Natsuko, Kanna, Mizuki, and Shizuka)

"Anyone ever tell you that you look like a Joker wearing that thing?" Natsuko asked Kanna as they were being dealt cards.

"I do not!" Kanna exclaimed. Soon, everyone was dealt their cards.

"Okay, players reveal their cards clockwise, starting with the dealer's, or my, left," Toshi announced.

(note: 0 10, S spade, H heart, C club, D diamond)

"Damn, I almost got a flush," Yumiko said, revealing her cards. (A-D, K-D, 8-D, 6-D, 2-C)

"I've got Ace-King-Seven," Natsuko said. (A-C, K-H, 7-C, 4-C, 2-H)

"Uh, is this a good hand?" Kanna asked, revealing her cards. (0-C, 0-D, A-S, 6-C, 5-H)

"A pair of tens," Toshi said. "Kanna's got the best hand so far."

"Damn, I've got nothing," Mizuki said. (Q-H, J-C, 9-C, 7-S, 2-D)

"Same here," Shizuka said. "Looks like the rookie wins." (Q-S, J-H, 8-H, 7-H, 4-D)

"Yeah," Mizuki said. All the losing girls then took off their socks. Toshi then looked under the table.

"What are you doing, Satoshi?" Yumiko asked. Toshi then bumped his head on the table before properly getting himself back in his seat.

"I was checking to see if you girls removed your clothing properly," Toshi said, rubbing his head.

"Well, we did," Yumiko said. He then took the cards, put them back in the deck and shuffled them again. After shuffling, he dealt the cards again. The girls then checked, starting with Natsuko.

"Damn, I've got nothing again," Natsuko said. (A-C, Q-H, 9-D, 6-D, 4-C)

"Uh…is this a good hand?" Kanna asked, revealing her cards. (Q-S, 8-C, 7-C, 6-C, 2-H)

"No, Kanna. That is not a good hand," Toshi said. "Although you did have a straight flush draw there. Anyways, so far, Natsuko has the best hand." Kanna began shaking.

"Well, I've got nothing," Mizuki said. (K-H, J-C, 0-H, 3-C, 2-D)

"Damn, I almost got a flush," Shizuka said. (Q-D, 0-S, 8-S, 6-S, 2-S)

"Yumiko-san?" Toshi asked the Osakan.

"Two Kings," Yumiko said, revealing her hand. (K-C, K-D, Q-C, J-H, 9-H)

"Damn!" Natsuko said.

"Yumiko wins," Toshi said. Natsuko removed her tank top, Kanna removed her jacket, Mizuki removed her shirt as well, and Shizuka was a little more daring and removed her pants. (Don't worry, she's wearing panties.)

"Uh, why were you wearing that jacket anyways?" Mizuki asked Kanna.

"No reason," Kanna said. Toshi then glanced at Shizuka.

"You do realize there is a heterosexual male sitting next to you, right?" Toshi asked her.

"Yeah," Shizuka said.

"Moving on," Toshi said. He shuffled the cards again and dealt them.

"Nothing…again!" Kanna moaned. (A-D, J-H, 9-S, 6-H, 5-S)

"I've got two pairs…queens and deuces," Mizuki said. (Q-H, Q-D, 2-H, 2-C, 7-S)

"Nothing," Shizuka said. (J-D, 9-H, 8-C, 5-H, 2-D)

"Oh, I've just got a pair of Kings," Yumiko said. (K-S, K-C, J-S, 8-H, 7-H)

"Nothing…again," Natsuko said. (A-S, K-H, 9-C, 5-C, 2-S)

"Mizuki wins," Toshi said. He then saw Shizuka reaching for her panties. "Don't even THINK about it."

"Spoilsport," Shizuka said. She then took off her shirt. Yumiko took off her skirt, Natsuko took off her shorts, and Kanna took off her shirt. Mizuki then glanced at Kanna, who was still wearing socks.

"You know…you could have taken off your socks," Mizuki said.

"I could have, but I didn't want to," Kanna said.

"I just hope Kichi's kids don't come up here," Toshi said as he shuffled the cards.

"Kichi?" Mizuki asked.

"My brother, the guy that owns this place," Toshi said. "He's an attorney, and he's also an amateur detective."

"Aah…" the four Cosplayers said. Toshi then dealt out the cards.

"Pair of Aces," Mizuki said. (A-C, A-D, 0-C, 7-S, 4-D)

"Nothing…again," Shizuka said. (K-C, J-S, 0-S, 6-H, 5-C)

"Same here," Yumiko said. (K-H, 7-D, 6-D, 5-H, 2-H)

"I got two queens," Natsuko said. (Q-H, Q-D, A-S, 8-S, 5-S)

"Doesn't that mean you're winning now?" Kanna asked.

"No, Kanna," Toshi said. "Aces beat Queens in poker."

"I thought Aces were the lowest cards,"

"Well, they are in an Ace-5 straight, but normally, Aces are high," Yumiko explained.

"This is a confusing game," Kanna said.

"Just show your damn cards, Kanna," Shizuka said.

"Okay," Kanna said. (9-S, 9-D, 8-D, 7-H, 2-C)

"Mizuki wins again," Toshi said. Yumiko then took a deep breath before removing her brassiere. Shizuka did the same, only without the breathing. Natsuko also removed her brassiere, and Kanna finally removed her socks. "This…is not going to be easy for me."

"Why, because there are three topless women in here?" Shizuka asked. "Doesn't bother me."

"Of course not," Toshi said.

"Hey, let's make this more interesting," Mizuki said. "Those that lose all their clothes completely in this game have to STAY naked for the rest of the night."

"Fine by me," Natsuko said. For those of your keeping score: Yumiko, Natsuko, and Shizuka are only in their panties, Kanna's wearing her bra and shorts, while Mizuki was in her bra and shorts as well.

"Okay," Shizuka said. Both Yumiko and Kanna were blushing profusely. Toshi didn't really pay it any mind. Instead he simply shuffled the cards. He then dealt them out.

"Well, I've got nothing…again!" Shizuka said. (0-C, 7-S, 6-C, 5-C, 3-D) She wasn't covering herself at all, which caused Toshi to have a little nosebleed. Yumiko, on the other hand, was using one arm to cover her boobs, and the other arm to turn over her cards.

"Ace-high," Yumiko said. (A-C, 9-H, 8-S, 6-D, 5-D)

"I've got a pair of threes," Natsuko said. (3-H, 3-S, 0-D, 7-H, 2-S) She also was not covering herself.

"Oh, I've got nothing!" Kanna moaned. (K-D, J-S, 0-H, 7-D, 4-H)

"Two Jacks," Mizuki said. (J-C, J-D, A-H, 4-C, 2-C)

"Dammit, that's three in a row!" Shizuka yelled. "Oh, well." She then removed her panties, leaving her completely naked, and out of the game. Natsuko then removed her panties, leaving her nude, and causing Mizuki to blush a bit.

"Do I…do I have to?" Kanna asked.

"Those are the rules, Kanna," Mizuki said. Sighing, Kanna took off her shorts, leaving her in her underwear…and glasses as well. Mizuki then turned to Yumiko. "Yumi-chan?" Yumi then sighed in response.

"Toshi, could you cover your eyes, please?"

"Okay," he said. Yumiko then removed her underwear, leaving her naked.

Now, as for the rest of the strip poker game…Mizuki ended up winning, only losing one hand on her way to victory. As for Kanna, she lost everything…glasses included.

Later that night, in another part of the penthouse, Toshi was setting up the bed for him to sleep in. Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"It's Yumiko," the person on the other side said. "Can I come in, please?"

"Uh…sure, why not?" Toshi said. The door then opened, and Yumiko entered the room. She wasn't wearing her glasses…or much else for that matter. She was, however, covering her body with a towel. "Uh, what's with the towel?"

"I wanted to look at least somewhat decent in front of you," Yumiko said.

"I see," Toshi said. "So, what are you doing in here?"

"Well, Natsuko and Mizuki are sharing a room, and I suggested that Shizuka and Kanna sleep in separate rooms," Yumiko explained. "Unfortunately, I don't have anyplace to sleep now."

"So, you're stuck with me," Toshi said.

"Besides…I'd like to talk to you about that job," Yumiko said.

"Can we talk about it in the morning, please?" Toshi asked. "I'm very tired."

"Okay," Yumiko said. "You know, I could just sleep on the floor."

"No way," Toshi said. "I'll go check the closet and see if I can find a futon."

"Actually, I was wondering if I could share the bed with you…if that's okay," Yumiko said, blushing a bit.

"Eh?"

Over in one of the bedrooms, Natsuko and Mizuki were resting comfortably under the covers. In another room, Kanna was shivering intensely under one of the futons. In yet another room, Shizuka was laying on the couch, with nothing covering her. Back in his bedroom, Toshi had crawled into the bed. He then felt the sheets move and he knew that Yumiko had crawled into bed next to him. She was laying on her side, facing his back.

"Have you ever had a girlfriend, Toshi-san?" Yumiko asked him.

"Uh…why are you asking me all of a sudden, Yumiko-chan?" Toshi asked her.

"Oh, no reason," Yumiko said. Toshi then wondered if he was going to get any sleep tonight.

* * *

Over at the condo, Hazuki was watching the microwave intensely.

"Do we have to have microwave dinners tonight?" Fumitsuki asked.

"The stove's still not working," Hazuki said.

"Well, why don't you have Shinichi fix it?" Fumitsuki asked.

"I've already bugged him enough this week," Hazuki said. "Plus, he doesn't fix stoves."

"Damn," Fumitsuki said to herself. At that moment, Mina came up with a deck of cards.

"Hey, Fumitsuki, you want to play some cards?" she asked her.

"Not right now, Mina," Fumitsuki said. "I'm kinda stressed out after these past few days."

"Oh, okay," Mina said. She then turned to Hazuki. "You want to play some cards, Hazuki?"

"Yeah," Hazuki said. "In fact…why don't I show you girls a card trick I learned while I was in Hong Kong?"

"Okay," Mina said.

"A card trick?" Fumitsuki wondered.

"Yeah," Hazuki said. "It's an easy one to learn. In fact…why don't I use that deck I bought the other day. Let me go get it."

A few minutes later, Hazuki came back with the cards that she had bought earlier, but hadn't opened yet. She then opened the deck and took out the jokers and note cards.

"Okay, now here's the set-up," Hazuki said. "A card shark is on trial for committing a crime. Now, in order to get out of his sentencing, he asks the jury to play a round of poker with him. If he wins, he goes away scot-free. He then deals the cards to each of the jury members, and himself…" while saying that, Hazuki deals out the cards. "And as soon as he's done dealing them, each of the jury members have three of a kind, while the criminal has four of a kind." She then revealed the cards, showing that, indeed, the 12 jury members each had three of a kind, while the card shark had four of a mind. Four eights, as a matter of fact.

"Amazing," Mina said.

"How did you do that?" Fumitsuki asked.

"Well, what you do first is split all the cards into their respective suits—hearts, spades, clubs, and diamonds," Hazuki began explaining. "Then, you arrange each suit in order from deuce, that a two, by the way, through ace. It doesn't matter which order you put the suits in. Then you deal the cards starting with the top left, moving right, then the middle, then from the left moving right again. Now, you notice the third time around, I dealt the cards in the opposite order, starting with the bottom right, moving left, and so on. Then, with the last deal, I deal in the original order. Then, I flip over the jurists' hands, each of them revealing to be a three of a kind. And when I flip over the criminal's hand…"

"There's the four of a kind," Fumitsuki said.

"Now, do you see how it's done?" Hazuki said.

"Yeah," Fumitsuki said. "I've never seen that trick before."

"Me either," Mina said. Hazuki then glanced at the microwave.

"I see we have a few minutes before our dinner's done, so what do you say we have one round of poker—five card draw, nothing wild." Hazuki said.

"Okay, let's do it," Mina said.

"I'm in," Fumitsuki said.

"Actually, it's between me and Mitsuki," Hazuki said. She then shuffled the cards and handed them to her sister. "You deal."

"Okay," Minazuki said. She then dealt five cards to both Hazuki and Fumitsuki. After double-checking the cards, Hazuki asked for three cards, while Fumitsuki asked for two.

"Let's make this interesting," Hazuki said. "The loser has to dive into the lake at the park…"

"I'm good for that," Fumitsuki said.

"BUTT-NAKED!" Hazuki continued.

"What is it with your obsession with nudity?" Fumitsuki asked.

"Do you agree or not?" Hazuki asked her. Fumitsuki then doubled checked her cards.

"I'll go with it," Fumitsuki said. "Start unzipping, Yazakura." She then revealed her cards, four Queens and an Ace of Hearts. "Four ladies."

"That's good," Hazuki said. "That's very good. But…it's not good enough I'm afraid." She then revealed her cards, Ace through five, in spades. "Straight flush." Fumtsuki then turned completely white. "We'll do this when it gets dark."

That night, at the park, Hazuki pulled up the Civic to a parking spot and the three ladies got out of the car.

"Do I have to do this?" Fumitsuki asked.

"Yes," Hazuki said.

"But what if someone sees us?" Fumitsuki asked.

"Relax, girlfriend," Hazuki said. "Nobody goes through this park this time at night." Fumitsuki just sighed in response.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the dock where the paddleboat rental was at.

"Well?" Hazuki said, turning to Fumitsuki. Sighing, the class president started to undress. "Glasses, too." Fumitsuki then took off her glasses and handed them to Mina before resuming her undressing. Blushing profusely, Fumitsuki took a deep breath before heading over to the dock and jumping off of it. "Mina, grab her clothes."

"Hazuki!"

"Hurry!" Reluctantly, Mina helped her sister grab Fumitsuki's clothes. As soon as the class president came up for air, she saw Hazuki and Minazuki running off with her clothes. She then climbed out of the water, and noticed absolutely nothing at the spot where her clothes had just been.

"Oh, just great!" Fumitsuki said. "Could this weekend get any worse?" She then noticed a flash coming from behind her, and she turned around, covering her intimate areas with her arms, and noticed B and C standing in front of her. B was holding the camera.

"Hey, Miss President," Student C said. "What brings you over here at a time like this?"

"None of your business," Fumitsuki said. "Now, give me that camera. I'd uppercut you, but I don't want you to see my nakedness."

"Too late," Student B said. "We already saw it."

"Well, in that case…" Fumitsuki said, before kicking the two of them into the water, significantly damaging the camera.

"Aw, nuts," Student C said.

"This is my third one this year," Student B said. They then noticed Fumitsuki running like hell. "My parents are going to kill me for this."

Over at a door, a hand knocked on it. The person on the other side then opened it, revealing Rafael Gonzales, the younger of the Gonzales brothers.

"What in the…?" he said, noticing the naked Fumituski standing right in front of him.

"Can you please help me?" Fumitsuki asked him.

Several minutes later, there was a knock on the Yazakura residence. Hazuki then opened the door, wearing a white bathrobe with the belt a little loose.

"Oh, hey, Rafael," Hazuki said, greeting him.

"Is this yours, señorita?" Rafael said, pointing to Fumitsuki, wearing a large black t-shirt over her nude body.

"Oh, where did you find her?" Hazuki said innocently.

"She was at my apartment," Rafael explained. "She was standing there naked. I don't know what she was doing running around town in the nude, and I don't want to know."

"Well, thanks for finding her, Rafael," Hazuki said. "Hey, do you know anything about fixing stoves?"

"Yes, I do," Rafael said. "Does yours not work?"

"Yeah," Hazuki said. "It's been out of commission for about a month now. It's actually the range that works, but the oven's been acting up."

"Well, we'll talk more about it tomorrow," Rafael said. "I need to get back to bed. Fumitsuki woke me up."

"Sorry about that," Hazuki said.

"It's okay," Rafael said. "I'll see you tomorrow, Hazuki." And with that, he left.

"Good night, Rafael," Hazuki said. She then turned to Fumitsuki, who was glaring evilly at her. "Oh, hey, Fumitsuki."

"You…are dead…" Fumitsuki said with murderous intent in her eyes.

* * *

Kisaragi was taking a bubble bath in their hotel room when Kaito semi-unexpectedly entered the bathroom.

"Am I bothering you, Kisa-chan?" Kai asked her. Kisaragi simply shook her head.

"You're never a bother to me, Kaito," Kisaragi told him.

"Mind some company?" Kai asked her.

"Not at all," Kisaragi said. Kai then sat down at the edge of the tub. "You know, you're welcome to join me."

"Really?" Kai said.

"Mm-hmm," Kisaragi nodded. "In fact…I could use a little massage on my shoulders right now." Kai then leaned over and started massaging Kisaragi's shoulders. "Oh, that feels good. You know, it would feel even better if you were in here with me."

"One minute," Kai said as he stood up. Kisaragi turned away from him as he started to remove clothing. She then noticed the water level rising up a bit and felt two warm hands on her shoulders. She glanced to see Kai sitting in the tub behind her, with his hair let down.

"I really thought I had lost you, Kaito," Kisaragi said, shedding a tear.

"As I said, you're never going to lose me, Kisa-chan," Kai said. She then turned her around and they started kissing. After about twenty seconds, they suddenly pulled apart.

"Kaito…"

"Yes?"

"Let's do it somewhere else," Kisaragi said.

"I don't think I can make it to the bed, Kisa-chan," Kai said. He then glanced over at the floor, which had their clothes sprawled across it. "The bathroom floor?"

"Better place than nothing," Kisaragi said.

Meanwhile, at the Suzuki residence, Takashi was lying down on the bed when Uzuki came out of the bathroom. She was wearing a pink nightshirt and white panties underneath. Her hair was down.

"Uzuki," Suzuki said as he stood up.

"That was a very brave thing that you did, Takashi," Uzuki said.

"Really?"

"Mm-hmm," Uzuki nodded. "And I'd like to reward you for your bravery." She then slowly walked towards him.

"Uh…what are you planning, Uzuki?" Suzuki asked as he was backed into the wall.

"Take off my clothes," Uzuki whispered into his ear.

"A…are you sure?" Suzuki stuttered.

"Yes," Uzuki said. She then back up a bit from him and stood absolutely still.

"Uzuki, are you absolutely sure about this?" Suzuki asked nervously.

"I'm your reward, Takashi, so do whatever you want with me," Uzuki said.

"O…okay," Suzuki said, somewhat nervously. "Could you turn around, please?" Uzuki did so, and Suzuki then removed her nightshirt and placed it on the floor. He saw that Uzuki wasn't wearing a bra. He then removed her panties and threw them over next to the nightshirt. "Uzuki…do you have feelings for me?"

"Hmm?" Uzuki said confusedly. "What was that, Takashi?"

"I asked if you had feelings for me," Suzuki said.

"Well, to tell you the truth…" Uzuki said, turning to face him. "Ever since I first met you, I'd had these…I guess you could call feelings for you." She was blushing profusely, and so was Suzuki. "I know you called me your 'sister from another mother,' but to be honest, I've felt much more than that for you. I know, you probably think of me as your little sister."

"On the contrary, Uzuki-chan," Suzuki said. "I've had these feelings for you as well. I just couldn't admit it to myself until tonight."

"Oh, Takashi…" Uzuki said. She then grabbed him and kissed him. They locked lips for quite a while before they stopped to get some air. "Takashi…do you want to do it tonight?"

"Not tonight, Uzuki," Suzuki said. "Let's take it one step at a time."

"All right," Uzuki said. "But you can still do whatever you want with me."

"Okay," Suzuki said.

* * *

At the Ichimonji Ranch, Hikaru was giving Satomi a massage in their bedroom. Both were wearing a limited amount of clothing, if any.

"Tomi-chan?"

"Hmm?"

"Would you mind picking up Mutsuki tomorrow morning?" Hikaru asked his wife. "I have to get to work early."

"Not at all," Satomi said. Hikaru then stopped massaging her, allowing Satomi to turn and face him. "Hikaru-kun…do you think there's a curse on my family?"

"Why do you ask that, Tomi-chan?" Hikaru asked.

"Well, because of what's been going on these past few years," Tomi said. "First, there was Yuuka's suicide, then we had dad passing away, this thing with Mutsuki, and now Kiyo-chan losing her husband…"

"You're not cursed, Tomi-chan," Hikaru said. "Besides…you are one incredibly sexy woman."

"Oh, make love to me, you animal!" Satomi said.

Over in jail, Mutsuki woke up from another nightmare.

"Not again," she moaned. She then flopped back down on the bed. "What did I do to deserve this?"

* * *

Whew! Well, that's the end of Chapter 18 of this epic story.

Basebabll is going to be an important part of the "Happy Lesson Fanfic Series." If anyone has any questions about the Nippon Professional Baseball teams, please don't hesitate to ask.

Laura's Ladies is not a real series of novels. Again, if you're interested, please ask.

Can you figure out who that die-hard Giants fan is?

That blue figure that Suzuki cosplayed as was Uchuu Keiji Shaider from the 1984 tokusatsu TV series of the same name. Hiroshi was a reference to Hiroshi Tsuburaya, who passed away in 2001.

Sasuke, known as Ninja Warrior in the U.S., is a competition that holds tournaments about twice a year. Look it up on Wikipedia.


	19. Manic Monday

Disclaimer: I do not own "Happy Lesson," its characters or concepts. They belong to Mutsumi Sasaki and KSS. Reader discretion is advised and certain celebrities have been impersonated. No celebrities were harmed in the creation of this story.

We are now at Chapter XIX of "Chitose's Vacation." Enjoy.

* * *

_**(Monday, July 15, 2002)**_

Chitose felt himself being woken up as he was shaken by a mysterious figure. He opened his eyes and found that it was Keni that was shaking him.

"What time is it, man?" he asked him.

"4:30 in the morning," Keni replied.

"4:30 in the morning?" Chitose moaned. "Why the hell are you waking me up this damn early?"

"Because I want to get my car running before we leave, and I need your help," Keni said. "Besides, you could use the experience."

"Can't it wait for a few hours?" Chitose asked groggily.

"Hey, Chitose, I've had to wake up at three o'clock in the morning for some of these jobs," Kenichi said. "I've gotten used to it."

"Fine," Chitose said as he climbed out of the futon. "But can I at least freshen up first?"

"Go ahead," Keni said. At that moment, Satsuki woke up.

"Kenichi, what the hell are you doing here?" she asked her twin. Unfortunately, as she stood up, her blanket fell down to lap…and I think you know what happens next.

"SATSUKI, COVER YOURSELF UP!!" Keni shouted quietly while covering his eyes.

About 20 minutes later, Keni and Chitose were in the garage, working on Kenichi's 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 fastback coupe.

"Oh, that reminds me," Keni said. "When we leave, I need to go pick up some gum."

"Nicotine gum?" Chitose asked.

"Nah, regular gum," Keni said. "I'm trying to cut back on the nicotine."

"Obviously," Chitose said.

"Chitose…there's something I should tell you about Yamato before you meet him," Keni said.

"Yamato?"

"Yamato Suzuki," Keni explained. "He's the guy that owns the garage we're going to. Anyways, he is a huge Detective Conan fanatic. In fact, he cannot stop talking about it. He talks to me about it so much that it annoys the hell out of me. In fact, in order to get him to stop, I threaten to destroy his Ran Mouri figurine with a baseball bat."

"Whoa," Chitose said. "That obsessed, huh?"

"Mm-hmm," Keni said. "Okay, that should do it." He then tossed Chitose some keys. "Why don't you go ahead and try to start her up?"

"Really?" Chitose asked. "Are you sure?"

"Chitose, I trust you, man," Keni said. "Go right ahead."

"Okay," Chitose said. He then opened the door to the driver's side of the car and sat inside it. He then turned the ignition, and the car started.

"IT'S ALIVE!" Keni screamed. "IT'S ALIVE!!"

"CAN I TURN IT OFF NOW?" Chitose yelled.

"YEAH, GO AHEAD," Keni said. Chitose then turned off the engine.

"You think we woke anyone up, Keni?" Chitose asked him.

"Probably," Keni said. "Hey, let's get something quick for breakfast before we head out."

"Okay," Chitose said.

In the kitchen, Keni put four pieces of bread in the toaster.

"Hope you don't mind if we have toast," Keni said.

"Nah, it's fine," Chitose said. At that moment, Mako entered the room. "Morning, Mako."

"Morning, bro," Keni said.

"Morning," Mako said, somewhat grumpily. His hair was down.

"Did we wake you up, Mako?" Chitose asked.

"No, but I did just wake up," Mako said as he opened the fridge and took out the milk. "Hey, nii-san…?"

"No," Keni said.

"You didn't even let me say it, man," Mako said.

"I knew what you were going to say," Keni said. "I don't want anything to do with papa-san's classes."

"I wasn't going to ask you about that, because I know that you're going to Yamato's today," Mako said.

"Fine," Keni said. "What did you want?"

"Since you're going to Yamato's place, tell him that he owes me and Dai big bucks," Mako said.

"You were betting on Misaki, weren't you?" Keni asked him.

"Yes…" Mako admitted.

"Wait a minute…you gamble as well?" Chitose asked.

"Not usually," Mako said.

"I'll make absolutely sure he knows, _otouto_," Keni said.

(note: "otouto" means younger brother)

"Hmm," Mako said. He then turned to Chitose. "You excited about today, Chitose?"

"I was until Keni woke me up at 4:30 in the morning," Chitose said. Mako then glared at his older brother.

"What?!" Keni asked.

"Never mind," Mako said. "I'll see you guys later tonight. Take care."

"You too, Mako," Chitose said. And with that, Mako left the room. Just then, the toast popped from the toaster.

"Breakfast is served," Keni said.

An hour later, after eating the breakfast, Chitose and Keni walked back to the garage where the two entered the Mustang. Keni was in the driver's seat, and Chitose was in the passenger's seat.

"Oops, forgot one thing," Keni said. "Could you open the glove box for me, please?" Chitose did so. Keni then took a glasses case out of the glove box and removed the sunglasses from it before putting them on. He then put the case back in the box.

"You wanted to wear them to look cool, right?" Chitose asked.

"Nah, I actually have to wear them, Chitose," Keni said. "I'm okay with regular seeing, but I need glasses for reading and driving. I got these babies custom-made."

"Ah, I see," Chitose said. At that moment, Kenichi started the car.

"Fasten your seat belt, Hitotose," Keni said. "Because this is going to be one wild ride." He shifted into first gear and was about to hit the gas when Chitose noticed something.

"Keni, look out!" Chitose shouted. He didn't notice. However, the person walking up to the car jumped out of the way just a split-second before Keni hit the gas. He then suddenly hit the brake, which caused the two men in the car to jerk in their seats.

"Whoa," Keni said.

"WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM, KENICHI GOKAJOU?!" the person shouted at Keni, who picked herself up and walked back to the car.

"Saki-chan," Keni said. Satsuki then walked over to Chitose's side, and the high schooler rolled down his window.

"Did you not see me heading for the car, Keni?" Satsuki asked.

"Sorry about that, sis," Keni said.

"You okay, Chitose?" Satsuki asked her 'son.'

"Yeah, I'm fine, Satsuki," Chitose said.

"Good," Satsuki said. "Kenichi, if anything happens to Chitose, I will rip you apart piece by piece. Got it?"

"Got it, sis," Keni said. Satsuki then started jogging off.

"You should probably get your eyes checked, Keni," Chitose said.

"I've already made an appointment for tomorrow," Keni said. "Your seatbelt still fastened?"

"Yep," Chitose said.

"Well, hold on to something, Chi, because I'm putting the petal to the metal," Keni said before hitting the gas and going pretty damn fast away from the Gokajou Mansion.

* * *

"Tomi-chan?" Hikaru called out. Satomi moaned and woke up. She was still in bed while Hikaru was standing over by the bedroom door, all dressed up for work.

"What time is it?" Satomi asked.

"Six o'clock," Hikaru said. "I'm leaving to go to school. And you should get ready to go pick up Mutsuki."

"Hikaru, the police station doesn't open until 9:00," Satomi said. She then hid underneath the covers. "Let me sleep." Hikaru then snatched the covers from the bed, fully exposing his wife. "HEY!"

"You want these back?" Hikaru said, moving to the bedroom door while waving the sheets. "Make me some breakfast, and we'll talk." Angered, Satomi leapt out of bed and grabbed the sheets back.

"Make your own damn breakfast," Satomi said. She then wrapped the sheets around her body. "You're not an invalid."

"I know," Hikaru said. "I just can't get enough of that beautiful body of yours."

"Oh, stop," Satomi said, blushing a bit.

"I'm serious," Hikaru said. Satomi then smacked her husband with a pillow.

"You dirty old man!" Satomi said.

"Hey, I'm only six years older than you!" Hikaru said.

"Maybe so, but you're still a dirty old man!" Satomi retaliated. "Now, get out of here so I can freshen up."

"Aw…" Hikaru complained.

"Hey, you had plenty of opportunities to look at this body last night…and I'll give you a few more tonight," Satomi said flirtatiously. Smirking, Hikaru then left the room. He then walked over to the phone and dialed a number.

Over at an apartment-type place, the person answered the phone.

"If this isn't an attractive young woman, I'm hanging up," the person said groggily.

"Good morning, Kobayashi," Hikaru said from the other side in a feminine voice.

"I know that's you, Sensei," Taky said, moaning as he fully woke up. He was wearing a red tank top.

"Ah, I could never fool you, Takahiro," Hikaru said.

"So, what's with the house call?" Taky asked.

"I just wanted you to know that Satomi's picking up Mutsuki from jail today," Hikaru said.

"Great," Taky said. "Hey, Sensei, if you're not doing anything tomorrow night, how about meeting up with Dr. Robinson and myself? You know, just a guys' night out?"

"Sure," Hikaru said. "I'll have to talk to Tomi about it when I get home, but I'm sure she'll let me have a guys' night out. Oh, that reminds me, I'm definitely having a word with Mutsuki when I come home today."

"Oh, yeah," Taky said. "Say, you don't want me to come over today, do you?"

"No, not today," Hikaru said. "I'll talk to you later, Takahiro. I need to go."

"Okay, Sensei," Taky said. "I'll be seeing ya."

"_Sayonara_, Kobayashi," Hikaru said before hanging up. Taky did so as well. He then laid down on the bed, just gazing at the ceiling.

"What the hell am I going to do today?" he asked himself.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Niigata hotel, Kai awoke on the floor of the hotel's bathroom. However, he quickly noticed that Kisaragi was not in there with him. He was nude, and his hair was sprawled all over the place. He got up and walked out of the bathroom, not bothering to cover himself with a towel. He then entered the bedroom and walked over to the dresser. As he was about to open one of the drawers, he felt a familiar hand on his stomach and another touching his…you know.

"Good morning, Kaito," Kisaragi whispered into his ear. She then let go of him as he turned around to face her.

"Kisa-chan," Kai said to her.

"What's wrong, Kaito?" Kisaragi asked, noticing a worried look on Kai's face.

"Kisaragi…do you regret last night?" Kai asked. The reason he asked was because they had made love on the bathroom floor and he forgot to bring protection with him.

"Of course not," Kisaragi said. She then brought him close to her and they started kissing. However, Kai broke the kiss after a bit.

"As much as I'd like to do this, Kisaragi," Kai said, "I promised Suzuki we'd meet at his place for breakfast."

"Okay," Kisaragi moaned.

Meanwhile, at the Suzuki residence, Takashi Suzuki was making breakfast in his kitchen. As he was cracking a couple of eggs in the frying pan, Uzuki entered the room, wearing a pink bathrobe, with her hair down.

"Good morning, Takashi," Uzuki said.

"Morning, Uzuki," Suzuki said. "I'm making miso soup." Uzuki then walked over to the stove and stood next to Suzuki.

"My mother used to make me miso soup for breakfast," Uzuki said.

"I know," Suzuki said.

"In fact…that was the last thing she made me for breakfast before…" Uzuki said before she started to lose it and cried.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Uzuki," Suzuki said. Uzuki then sniffled and wiped her face with her arms.

"It's okay, Takashi," Uzuki said. "Besides, nothing would make me better than miso soup right now."

"Well, you'll have to wait a bit for it to be ready," Suzuki said. "Did you already freshen up?"

"Yeah," Uzuki said. "I guess I could call Toshi and see how everyone else is doing."

"That's a great idea, Uzuki," Suzuki said. "Tell the others I said hi, okay?"

"Okay," Uzuki said. She then kissed Suzuki on the cheek before heading off.

Over in the bedroom, Uzuki called Toshi's cell phone, but didn't get an answer.

"Hmm, he must be busy," Uzuki said to herself. "I'll try Mizuki." She then dialed Mizuki's number, and waited for a response.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Miz," Uzuki said.

"Oh, hi, Uzuki," Mizuki said from the Fukushima penthouse of Kichiro Miyamoto.

"So, how's everyone doing?" Uzuki asked.

"I'll tell you in a minute, U-chan" Mizuki said. "I want you to know that the five of us girls played strip poker last night. I won." Uzuki blushed upon hearing that. "Anyways, are you looking for Toshi?"

"Yeah," Uzuki said.

"Well, he's making breakfast for us all right now," Mizuki said. "I'm going to go down there in just a minute."

"Great," Uzuki said. "So, can you tell me how everyone else is doing right now?"

"Well, Natsuko's on the phone with her father, Yumiko's in the shower, and as for Shizuka and Kanna…" Mizuki said, blushing a bit. "I'd rather not say."

"Okay…" Uzuki said. "Hey, I'll talk to you later, okay? Oh, and Suzuki says hi."

"All right," Mizuki said. "Talk to you later, U-chan. Bye." She then hung up.

Over in the kitchen, Toshi was busy making breakfast. Just then, a seven-year-old entered the kitchen. He was wearing a Hurricane Yellow t-shirt.

"Good morning, Uncle Toshi," the boy greeted is uncle.

"Morning, Takumi," Toshi greeted him.

"Are you making your omile…omo…" Takumi tried to say.

"Omelettes," Toshi said. "Yes, I am." At that moment, a 12-year-old girl entered the kitchen, with short black hair. She was wearing pink pajamas. "Morning, Hitomi."

"What's good about it?" Hitomi asked grumpily. She then walked through the door into the dining room and sat down at the table.

"What's wrong with her?" Takumi said.

"I'll tell you when you're older," Toshi said. At that moment, Mizuki entered the kitchen. She was wearing a blue Seibu Lions t-shirt and black pants.

"Morning, Toshi," she greeted him.

"Good morning, Mizuki-san," Toshi said.

"_Oji-san_, who's she?" Takumi asked his uncle.

"Takumi, I'd like you to meet Mizuki Takahashi," Toshi said. "Mizuki, this is my oldest nephew, Takumi."

"Nice to meet you, Takumi-kun," Mizuki said.

"Nice to meet you as well, _onee-san_," Takumi said.

"Hey, Miz…may I call you Miz?" Toshi said.

"Of course, Toshi," Mizuki said.

"Would you mind talking to Hitomi-chan for me, please?" Toshi asked.

"Hitomi?"

"Takumi's older sister," Toshi explained. "She's in the dining room next door."

"Is something wrong with her?" Mizuki asked.

"Uncle Toshi will tell you when you're older," Takumi said.

"Takumi, she's old enough," Toshi said. He then turned back to Mizuki. "Miz, can you talk to her, please?"

"Sure thing, Toshi," Mizuki said. She then headed into the dining room.

"How old do you think she is, _Oji-san_?" Takumi asked.

"Takumi, you never ask a woman about her age," Toshi said. "Twenty-five."

"Really?" Takumi asked.

"You're asking the age-master here, Takumi-kun," Toshi said. At that moment, Shizuka entered the kitchen…completely naked.

"You done making breakfast already?" Shizuka asked. Takumi then screamed before covering his eyes with his hands…and his ears with his thumbs.

"Oh, for Kami's sake, Shizuka, put some damned clothes on!" Toshi shouted.

"Okay," Shizuka said. She then turned around and, all of a sudden, she was dressed in a purple-and-pink top, a white skirt, and black shoes. She wore her hair in two loose ponytails.

"You can uncover your eyes and ears, Takumi. She's decent now," Toshi said. Takumi did so. At that moment, Yumiko came into the kitchen, wearing a blue bathrobe. She was wearing contacts.

"Hey," Toshi greeted Yumiko.

"Hey," Yumiko said. "Listen…about that job you offered me last night…"

"Listen, if you don't want to take it, I don't mind at all. In fact…" Toshi said.

"I'll take it," Yumiko said.

"Eh?" Toshi said.

"That is, if you're still interested in me," Yumiko said.

"Oh, sure," Toshi said. "Of course, I'll have to talk to Kai about it, but if he approves, and we get all these…technicalities dealt with, you could start as early as next Monday."

"Thanks," Yumiko said. At that moment, Natsuko entered the kitchen. She was wearing a black Chiba Lotte Marines baseball shirt and pink panties, but that was all.

"Morning," Natsuko said.

"Morning," Toshi said. He then noticed her choice of clothing. "Natsuko, could you please put some pants on?"

"I'm wearing underwear, Toshi," Natsuko said. "It's nothing to worry about."

"Really?" Toshi said. "You do realize that there are young children here. I don't want them scarred for life."

"Too late," Takumi said. Yumiko then glared at Shizuka.

"What?!" Shizuka said.

"Okay, everyone into the dining room," Toshi said.

"Do we have to?" Shizuka moaned.

"Yes," Toshi said.

"Oh, fine!" Shizuka said. She and Yumiko went into the dining room.

"And Natsuko, go put some pants on!" Toshi said.

"Fine!" Natsuko moaned. She then went back upstairs to put some pants on.

In the dining room…

"Morning, everyone," Yumiko said.

"Morning," Mizuki said. Hitomi just groaned in response.

"What's her problem?" Yumiko asked.

"You really want to know?" Mizuki asked. Yumiko nodded. Mizuki then walked up to Yumiko and whispered in her ear. "She just got her first period and she's embarrassed about it."

"Oh…" Yumiko said. She then noticed something. "Where's Kanna?"

"Probably still in her room," Mizuki said. "None of us have been able to wake her up."

Just then, a scream was heard.

"Kanna," Yumiko and Mizuki said.

"You think Natsuko got her up?" Yumiko asked.

"Probably…" Mizuki said. Shizuka was just whistling nonchalantly.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Tokyo, Hazuki was busy attempting to make breakfast in the kitchen.

"Hazuki?" Hazuki turned to see Minazuki entering the room. She was wearing her green nightshirt. "What are you doing?"

"Because of our little prank last night, I had to sleep on the couch, while Mitsuki got to sleep on my very comfortable bed," Hazuki explained. "Also, I have to make breakfast for everyone."

"Let me help you," Minazuki said as she put on an apron.

"Thanks, Mina, but Mitsuki wants me to make this by myself," Hazuki said.

"Oh, come on, Hazuki," Mina said. "We both know you're not exactly the best cook in Japan."

"Well…okay," Hazuki said. "But what happens if Mitsuki wakes up and catches you helping me?"

"Oh, don't worry about that, Hazuki-neechan," Mina said, grinning wildly. "You leave her to me."

Thirty minutes later, Fumitsuki came out of the bathroom while putting her hair into a loose ponytail. She then put her glasses on, which were hanging from the collar of her shirt. As she was walking through the hallway, she smelled an auspicious aroma, which quickly caught her attention. She headed over to the kitchen, where Hazuki was serving breakfast. Mina was sitting at the table, with the apron hanging on the closet doorknob.

"Breakfast is served," Hazuki said.

"Oh, thank you, Hazuki," Fumitsuki said as she sat down. "_Itadakimasu_." She then took a bite of the breakfast. "Hmm…surprisingly good. I didn't realize you were such a good cook, Hazuki." Hazuki and Minazuki then looked at each other nervously. "Hazuki?"

"Oh…about that, Mitsuki…" Hazuki said. "Uh…you tell her, Mina."

"Okay, Hazuki," Mina said. "The thing is, Fumitsuki, Hazuki may be a good singer, and she's definitely a good eater, but when it comes to cooking…no way."

"Oh…" Fumitsuki said. "Did you make this, Minazuki?"

"Yes," Mina said, bowing her head. "Please don't be mad at me."

"Why didn't you guys tell me this earlier?" Fumitsuki asked.

"Well…" Mina said. "You do kind of get angry very easily, and we didn't want to risk that."

"I do _not_ get very angry very easily," Fumitsuki said.

"I know a few people that would disagree with what you just said, Fumitsuki-san," Mina said. "Chitose, myself, those two crazies that bug you all the time…"

"Okay, I get your point!" Fumitsuki said. "And I've calmed down since last night, so I'm not mad at you guys anymore." She then resumed eating. The two sisters just stared at each other nervously before eating again.

* * *

Back on the isle of Shikoku, the Mustang had arrived in Tokushima City and was soon outside of Yamato's garage.

"We're here," Keni said. He then beeped the horn twice. The garage door then opened, and Keni drove the Mustang inside it. Chitose then noticed that the garage was HUGE!

"Whoa," Chitose said.

"I take it that you're impressed," Keni said as he turned off the engine. The two men then exited the vehicle.

"So, where's this Suzuki guy, Keni?" Chitose asked.

"I don't know," Keni said. "I'll go look for him. Stay here." He then walked through the garage, passing various cars along the way. Chitose, in the mean time, went back into the Mustang and took a little nap. Keni then reached a red 1968 AMC AMX fastback with its hood opened, and he saw someone working on the car. Smirking, he snuck over towards the driver's side door, which had the window rolled down, and he reached into the car and beeped the horn.

"AAH!" the guy working on the car screamed as he bumped his head on the hood. Keni laughed at that.

"I knew that would get your attention," Keni said. The person then walked over from the front of the car and stood in front of Kenichi Gokajou.

"What the hell are you doing here, Keni?" he asked.

"I told you I'd be here today, Yamato," Keni said. "And I also told you that I'd be bringing someone."

"Yeah," Yamato said. "So, where is he?"

"Well, he was by my car, but I have a feeling that he might be heading over here right now," Keni said. At that moment, Chitose showed up. "Oh, there he is."

"What was THAT about?" Chitose asked.

"Just wanted to get this guy's attention over here," Keni said, pointing to Yamato. "Chitose, this is Yamato Suzuki. Yamato, this is Chitose Hitotose, He's my twin's boyfriend. He's visiting the family." Yamato then took off his right glove and shook Chitose's hand.

"Nice to meet you," Chitose said.

"Nice to meet you as well," Yamato said.

"You've got a lot of nice cars here," Chitose said.

"Thank you," Yamato said in English.

"Most of them are mine, by the way," Keni said. "Oh, that reminds me…Yamato, you owe my brothers some money."

"Eh?"

"You know…the World Martial Arts Championship match between Misaki Oshiro and Eva Sigmarsson that occurred yesterday?" Keni said. "The one where you bet on Sigmarsson, and my bros bet on Misaki-san?"

"Hey, she won the Gold the previous year," Yamato said.

"Yeah, and she almost got herself DQ-ed yesterday," Keni said. "So…" He then held out his hand.

"I'll send them a check," Yamato said.

"Nuh-uh," Keni said. "The deal was strictly cash."

"Well, in that case, I'll have to go to the bank," Yamato said. Keni then glared at him. "Later."

"Okay," Keni said. He then turned to Chitose. While doing so, he took out a stick of gum and put it in his mouth. "So…what do you want to see first?"

"Well…" Chitose said.

Meanwhile, at the Hitotose Mansion, Satsuki and Daichi were watching TV.

"There's over 1,200 channels, Daichi," Satsuki said. "Just pick one."

"Okay, okay," Daichi said. "How about this?"

"UPN-9, WWOR-TV, Secaucus, New Jersey," Satsuki said as she watched the TV. "Why are we watching a station from America?"

"Because I just realized 'James McCarthy's Downtown' is on now," Daichi said.

"I never saw that show before," Satsuki said. "What's it about?"

"Well, it's about a group of people living in Oakland, California," Daichi explained. "It's one of my favorites from the States."

"What do they do?" Satsuki asked.

"Hang out, get in arguments, form relationships, work, pretty much what everyone does in real life…with some more fantastic elements thrown in from time to time," Daichi explained.

"Okay," Satsuki said. At that moment, Kazu entered the room.

"Have either of you seen Tommy?" Kazu asked them.

"He's probably still in bed," Daichi said. "I'll go wake him up."

"I'll go," Kazu said. "Besides, I need to have a serious talk with him."

"Okay," Daichi said. Kazu then left the family room and headed over to Tommy's room.

"What do you think he's going to talk to Tommy about?" Satsuki asked.

"I have no idea," Daichi said.

Meanwhile, in the guilty party's room (Tommy), the youngest of the Gokajou siblings was laying in bed, by himself. He then turned to feel the other side, but found nothing there.

"Hmm?" He then stretched and yawned before climbing out of bed. He was completely nude. There were numerous clothes spread all around the floor, and he quickly picked up a pair of briefs that were on top of a dress. As he was putting them on, Kazu suddenly opened the door. "KAZU!!"

"Oh, not this again," Kazu said. "Okay, where is she?"

"I don't know," Tommy said. "She was gone when I woke up."

"Was it Rei?" Kazu asked.

"Nah," Tommy said.

"Lita? Yuko? That exchange student from Canada?" Kazu continued.

"Neither of those," Tommy said as he found a black tank top and put it on. "It was Akane."

"Akane?" Kazu said. "Who the hell is she?"

"She goes to Shikoku University," Tommy said.

"A college student?" Kazu said. "You did it last night with a college student?"

"Yeah," Tommy said. "So?"

"Forget it," Kazu said. "I'm going right downstairs to tell Papa-san all about this." As he was about to leave the room, a pair of screams were heard: one masculine, one feminine. "That had better not be who I think it is." He then left the room, with Tommy following after him. In the hallway, the two brothers found Tanaka, one of the students from Hiroto's wrestling class, and the younger brother of the late Mickey Tanaka, Mako's ex-classmate.

"Tanaka, what are you doing up here?" Tommy asked.

"Tommy…there is a naked girl in your bathroom," Tanaka said.

"Akane," Tommy said. "Hold on, guys. I'll handle this." He then walked over to the bathroom door and knocked on it.

"Who is it?" a feminine voice said from the other side.

"It's Tommy," he said. The door then opened, revealing a teenage girl with red hair and blue eyes. "What happened, Akane-chan?"

"That creepy ecchi tried to molest me!" Akane said.

"I did not!" Tanaka said.

"All right, that's enough!" Kazu said. "Tommy, I don't want that girl in this house any longer! Get her out of here!"

"Fine," Tommy said out loud. "Spoilsport," he said under his breath.

"Uh, Tommy…I still need to get dressed," Akane said.

"That's okay, Akane," Tommy said. "Just quickly head over to my room and dress there."

"_Arigato_, Tommy-sama," Akane said as she quickly rushed out of the bathroom with a towel barely covering her body and headed into Tommy's room.

"Say Tanaka…you do know there's a bathroom down in the basement," Tommy said.

"I know that," Tanaka said. "It's just your brother asked me to get something from his bedroom and I needed to use the john as soon as I got up here."

"Okay…" Tommy said. Tanaka then walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. Kazu was about to leave when Tommy called him back. "_Aniki_…please don't tell Papa-san about this."

"It's going to cost you," Kazu said.

"Anything, man," Tommy said. "Just don't tell him, okay?"

"You have to baby-sit Momoe every day during summer break," Kazu said.

"Deal," Tommy said. At that moment, Akane came out of the bedroom wearing a red Detroit Red Wings jersey and blue jeans. "Uh, is that yours, Akane-chan?"

"It's actually my ex-boyfriend's," Akane said. "I swiped it from him after we broke up."

"Okay…" Kazu said. "Come on, Akane. It's time to go back to school."

"Oh, I'm not going back," Akane said.

"Eh?!" Kazu said confusedly.

"I'm skipping class today since I overslept…thanks to Casanova over here," Akane said, pointing to Tommy. Kazu then glared at Tommy.

"What?!" Tommy said.

"Oh, don't worry. I was actually planning on skipping class anyways," Akane said. "Are you sure I can't stay here, uh…"

"Kazu," he said to Akane. "And, no, you cannot stay here. If you're not going to class, then I'll have Daichi take you home."

"Uh, I can't do that either," Akane said.

"Why not?" Kazu asked.

"Because I live on campus," Akane said. "The dean said if he caught me skipping class, he'd expel me, since I'm already on probation."

"Akane…"

"Look, Kaz, why doesn't she stay here for today?" Tommy asked him. "There's no real harm in that."

"Tomoki…"

"That's a great idea, Tommy," Akane said. "I'll go meet your brothers and sister now, okay?"

"All right," Tommy said. Akane then bowed and headed down the hallway to the living room.

"Sukeban," Kazu said under his breath.

"Akane is not a delinquent, _nii-chan_," Tommy said. "Now, Saki Asamiya. THAT is a delinquent."

"Saki Asamiya is a fictional character in a manga that I never really cared all that much about," Kazu said. "Besides, you're lucky that I'm not telling Papa-san about all this delinquency. Next time, however, you won't be so lucky."

"Thanks, _Ani_," Tommy said. He then ran off after Akane.

"What the hell is happening to me?" Kazu asked himself.

* * *

Back in Niigata, the foursome of Kisaragi Ninomai, Uzuki Shitennou, Takashi Suzuki, and Kaito Yoshida were enjoying the breakfast that Suzuki had made.

"Great breakfast, Takashi," Kai said. "May I be excused, please? I need to check my e-mail and the hotel we were at didn't have any internet connection."

"Sorry," Suzuki said.

"It's all right," Kai said.

"Oh, go right ahead, Kai," Suzuki said. Kai then stood up and bowed before heading to a nearby computer to check his e-mail.

"Nice guy," Uzuki said. "When did you first meet him, Kisaragi?"

"It was the week before Christmas, 1995," Kisaragi said. "I was having dinner at a restaurant in Yokohama when I saw a noticed a fiddling with the jukebox. I didn't may too much attention to him, so I looked away. Anyways, all of a sudden, it starts playing my favorite song…"

"What is your favorite song, Kisaragi?" Uzuki asked.

"That's a secret," Kisaragi said. Uzuki moaned upon hearing that. "Anyways, about halfway through, he sat down next to me and just started a conversation. I tried to get him to go away, but he just kept talking to me. Eventually, I decided to talk back to him, and he soon asked me out on a date. We went out a few weeks later, and we really hit it off. Within a few months, I slept over at his place, and we've been going steady since then…except for a two-year hiatus, but we're back together now."

"I didn't really want to know that, Kisaragi," Uzuki said, blushing profusely.

"So…how many times have you guys done it?" Suzuki asked nonchalantly.

"That's a secret, too," Kisaragi said. Just then, Kai entered the room, carrying some papers with him.

"What is that, Kaito-san?" Uzuki asked.

"Information on that ninja that attacked us yesterday," Kai said. "Take a good look at the name."

"Gai Tagawa," Uzuki read off the papers. "He kind of looks like my ex-stepfather."

"That's because he's Nobuyuki Tagawa's son," Kai explained.

"His…son?" Suzuki said.

"That's why he said we could have been brother and sister," Uzuki said. "But I don't remember meeting him until yesterday."

"That's because he was in a boarding school in Osaka when your mom got married to Nobuyuki," Kai said. "In fact, he was expelled from 14 schools in nine different prefectures, all before the age of 15."

"Definitely one troubled child," Suzuki said.

"What about his mother?" Kisaragi asked.

"They couldn't find an info on his mother, and your parents have the most sophisticated searching system that I know of," Kai said. "Anyways, Gai Tagawa—born December 6, 1975 in Miyazaki. On New Years Eve, 1995, he was arrested for murdering and raping a high school girl. I'm amazed that they didn't hang him, but instead he got life imprisonment without parole. He escaped a few months into his prison term by strangling his psychiatrist."

"That is one sick individual," Suzuki said.

"It gets better," Kai said. "According to these files, Gai here is a pedophile and a necrophiliac."

"N-necrophiliac?" Uzuki asked, shuddering a bit.

"Mm-hmm," Kai said.

"Necrophilia—sexual attraction to corpses," Kisaragi said to the 'audience.'

"And he's a pedophile as well?" Uzuki asked. "Sick isn't the word to describe him. He's…he's…indescribable!"

"Should we warn the other Cosplayers about him?" Kisaragi asked.

"It wouldn't hurt," Suzuki said. "In fact, I'll call them right now." Suzuki then stood up and walked over to the phone.

"Kaito?"

"Yeah, U-chan?"

"How many times have you and Kisaragi…?" Uzuki asked before she was interrupted.

"Sorry, Uzuki, but that's a se-cr-et," Kai said. He and Kisaragi then turned away from Uzuki.

"We won't tell!" Kai and Kisaragi said to the 'camera.'

"Okay…" Uzuki said.

Over at a hotel room in Saitama, a woman in her early 20s was thrown onto the bed by two henchmen. At that moment, Gai came out of the bathroom. He was smoking a cigarette, despite the "no smoking" signs all over the room.

"Leave us," he said to the two henchmen. Gai then smirked at the woman evilly.

"Wha…what are you going to do to me?" she said. Gai then took a gun-like device out of his shirt. "What…what is that?"

"Jet-injector," Gai said. "I prefer it to hypodermic needles. It's much more…efficient when delivering the vial."

"Vial?" the woman said nervously. Gai then loaded a strange drug into the injector.

"Don't worry. This won't hurt…much," Gai said. He then injected the drug into the woman's chest. She immediately lost consciousness. Gai then pulled out a knife and started tearing her clothing off.

Back in the portable lab, located somewhere in the country of Japan, Hiroshi Ninomai was checking some information on the computer while drinking his coffee. When he saw the information on the screen, he immediately spat out his coffee.

"Oh, my…"

* * *

Meanwhile, in Sapporo, Satomi was driving Mutsuki back to the Ranch in her car. The drive was mainly silent, until Tomi finally decided to speak up.

"Your uncle, Renichi, passed away yesterday," she said to her daughter.

"Oh?" Mutsuki said in a somewhat uncaring way. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"You feeling alright, Mu-chan?" Satomi asked her daughter.

"I'm fine, mom," Mutsuki said. "Seriously."

"If you say so," Satomi said, unconvinced.

Over at the Sapporo South High School, Hikaru was teaching his class, who seemed to be mainly uninterested in the proceedings. Just then, a young student knocked on the door and slid it open.

"Mr. Ichimonji," the second-year male student said, getting the attention of the teacher. "Sorry to bother you, sir, but your wife is on the phone."

"Is it important?" Hikaru asked.

"Yes, sir," the student said.

"I'll be right over," Hikaru said. He then turned to the class. "I'll be right back, class, so stay right here. Arika, keep an eye on them, and if I hear any negative reports from Arika, those people involved will get an early start to their summer vacation, understood?" He then left the room and walked over to the front office, where he picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hikaru-sama?" the person on the other side said.

"Tomi," Hikaru said. "So, have you picked Mutsuki up already?"

"Yep," Satomi said. "Right now, she's locked herself in her bedroom. We didn't even talk much on the ride home."

"Get her on the phone," Hikaru said.

"Hikaru, didn't you hear me?" Satomi said. "I just said that Mutsuki's locked herself in her room. I haven't been able to get her out of there."

"Well…okay," Hikaru said. "But I want to talk to her as soon as I get home, okay?"

"I'll let her know that," Satomi said. "You just focus on your 'other' kids right now. I'll see you when you get off."

"Bye, Tomi-chan."

"Bye, Hikaru-kun," Satomi said just before she hung up the phone.

_I wonder what Kobayashi is doing now_, she thought to herself.

Over in a nearby park, Taky, wearing a kendo uniform has taken a shinai out of a case and started doing kendo moves with it. He had also put up a sign near him that said 'Please do not bother me, or I might accidentally strike you.'

* * *

Back in the cabin on the Akaishi Mountains, Yayoi woke up in her bedroom. She wasn't wearing her yukata, as he was hanging over the doorknob that leads to the hallway. She quickly stood up, walked over to the door, grabbed the yukata, slipped it on, and opened it.

"Susumu?" Yayoi called out. She then walked over to kitchen, but found nothing…nothing, that is, except for a note on the refrigerator. She immediately took it off and read it.

_Yayoi,_

_I've gone into town to get a few things. I'll be back by midday at the latest._

_Susumu_

"Gone to town?" Yayoi said to herself. She then looked at the text below Susumu's signature.

_P.S.: We do need to talk as soon as possible._

Sighing, Yayoi decided to fix herself something for breakfast. As she was making it, she had a seductive thought and decided to surprise Susumu when he got back.

Meanwhile, in the city of Nagano, Susumu was shopping at a supermarket. His ankle was well enough that he could walk on it normally, albeit with a slight limp. As he was shopping, his cell phone went off, so he answered it.

"Hello?" he answered. "Oh, hi, sis. Yeah, I'm on another one of those so-called 'Spiritual Journeys.' Yayoi Sanzenin. Well, she's a nurse from Tokyo. She's also a miko. Well, her dad's a priest, but they don't get along too well._ Nee-san­_, I am not bringing her over to the house for dinner! As far as everyone else is concerned, we're still on our 'journey,' and I would appreciate it if you didn't tell _Otou-san_ about this. Okay. I'll come by after the 'journey' is over. Bye, sis." He then hung up and continued shopping.

* * *

Back at the garage, Chitose had popped the hood to a red 1969 Mercury Cougar convertible. Keni, wearing a pair of work goggles, then lifted the hood up and set it in place.

"Hey, Chi…"

"Yeah, Keni?"

"You ever see the _Sukeban Deka_ series?" Keni asked him.

"I've heard of it, but I've never actually seen it," Chitose said. "Isn't that the one with the delinquent high school girl turned detective?"

"The same," Keni said. "It was one of my favorite shows when I was younger."

"I thought you were into James Bond, Kenichi," Chitose said.

"I am," Keni explained. "Hey, I'm into all sorts of things. James Bond, cars, Super Sentai…the list goes on and on. Hey, Yamato!" Yamato was working on a red 1974 Ford Gran Torino.

"Yeah, Keni?"

"Who's your favorite _Sukeban Deka_?"

"Keni, you know I don't really care for that series," Yamato said.

"Can you believe this man, Chitose?" Keni said to him. "This is coming from the guy that has seen at least 250 episodes of _Detective Conan_ at least seven times. Then again, his sister and I did force him to watch all 104 episodes of _Sukeban_ that one time back-to-back-to-back, and he hasn't forgiven us for that."

"Whoa…when did that happen?" Chitose asked.

"About nine years ago," Keni said. "You know, it's funny…even though we both like cars a lot, Yamato and I have almost nothing in common. In fact, we barely tolerate each other here."

"Ah…" Chitose said.

"Okay, this baby looks good," Keni said as he shut the hood. "Come out of there, Chi. I want to show you something."

"Okay," Chitose said as he got out of the Cougar. He then walked with Keni to a green car. "So, what's this, Keni-niichan?"

"This, my friend…is a 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado," Keni explained.

"Toruneedo (トルネード)?" Chitose asked.

"No, To-ro-na-do (トロナド)," Keni said. "It's the first major American front-wheel-drive automobile."

"Front-wheel-drive?" Chitose asked confusedly.

"What _do_ you know about cars, Hitotose?" Keni asked, putting his hands on his hips.

"Not front-wheel-drive, that's for sure," Chitose said. Keni just chuckled at that, while Chitose chuckled nervously. Keni then snapped his fingers.

"Oh, man, I almost forgot!" Keni said. "Chi, have you ever seen G-Men before?"

"I've never even heard of G-Men, Keni," Chitose said.

"It was a detective show that aired back in the 70s and early 80s," Keni explained. "It starred 'You Only Live Twice' actor Tetsuro Tamba."

"I've heard of Tamba, though," Chitose said.

"And speaking of Tamba, his son played the Red Ranger in the Sentai series JAKQ Dengekitai," Keni continued.

"I did not know that," Chitose said. At that moment, Yamato walked up to the two.

"What are you two talking about?" he asked.

"Random things," Keni said. "Hey, you've seen G-Men before, right, Yamato?"

"That is my second-favorite detective show," Yamato said. "I've seen every episode at least five times."

"Ah," Chitose said. He then whispered in Keni's ear. "Say, how many episodes of G-Men did they make?"

"Altogether, 379," Keni said.

"Wow!" Chitose said.

* * *

Back at the Gokajou residence, in the game room, Tommy was shuffling the dominoes, while Daichi, Satsuki, and Akane were sitting at the table.

"I've never played dominoes before," Akane said.

"Don't worry, Akane. You'll learn quickly," Daichi said. "You know who you remind me of, Akane-chan?"

"Who, Daichi-san?" Akane asked.

"Yuki Saito, the original Sukeban Deka," Daichi said.

"Who the hell is she?" Akane asked.

"She was one of the hottest idols of the 1980s," Daichi explained. "You know, that reminds me…Satsuki-chan, do you remember when the kids in school used to call you 'Yui,' because you bore a resemblance to Yui Asaka, SD3?"

"Yeah, and people kept asking me where my yo-yo was," Sasuki said. Tommy then finished shuffling.

"Okay, ladies…" Tommy said, with Daichi glaring at him. "The game is double-six block, five bones to start each, and we play to 100." Everyone then drew five dominoes. Oh, and by the way, Akane is wearing the red wristband, Daichi is wearing the yellow one, Satsuki is wearing the green one, and Tommy is wearing the blue one.

"Hey, all the dots are colored!" Akane said.

"Does anyone have double-six?" Daichi asked, ignoring Akane. Nobody spoke up. "Double-five?"

"Uh…is this it?" Akane said, holding up the double-five.

"Just drop it on the table, Akane," Daichi said. Akane did so. "There you go." Daichi then put down the 5-2. Satsuki then put down the 5-3 next to the double-five. Tommy then put down the double-deuce next to the deuce at the end.

"So, Tommy…" Akane said as she put down the ace-deuce next to the double-deuce. "Are these all your brothers and sisters?"

"Actually, Mako's downstairs with the other wrestling students, and Keni's out with Chitose," Tommy explained as Daichi put down the double-ace next to the ace-deuce.

"Chitose?" Akane asked.

"He's my boyfriend," Satsuki said as he put the double-trey next to the 5-3. Tommy the put the 6-5 next to the double-five.

"So, have you guys done it yet?" Akane asked as she put the 3-2 next to the double-trey. Satsuki blushed profusely upon hearing that.

"Chitose is only 17," Daichi said as he put the ace-four next to the double-ace.

"Eh?!" Akane said. Satsuki nodded silently as she put down the 6-3 next to the 6-5. "But you've got to be in your thirties!" Satsuki then glared at her.

"Satsuki's only 28, Akane-chan," Tommy said as he put the 6-2 next to the double-deuce.

"But still!" Akane said as she put the 5-4 next to the 4-1. "That's one hell of an age difference!"

"Not really," Daichi said as he put the 4-3 next to the 6-3. "Hey, Saki-chan, isn't Uncle Saburo's second wife, like, 30 years younger than him?"

"Thirty years?" Satsuki said as she put the 3-1 next to the double-trey. "He's old enough to be her father!"

"I see your point," Akane said. Tommy then put down the 6-1 next to the 3-1. Akane then puts the 5-1 next to the 5-4.

"Hey, you just won the round, Akane-chan," Daichi said.

"Huh?" Akane said confusedly. The others then flipped over their remaining dominoes. Dai had the 5-0, Satsuki had double-zero, and Tommy had 6-0.

"You got 11," Daichi said. "Not bad for your first round of dominoes."

"Oh, really?"

"You just leave the scoring to us, kid," Satsuki said as she wrote down the score.

_**Red (Akane)—11, Yellow (Daichi)—0, Green (Satsuki)—0, Blue (Tommy)—0**_

As Tommy was clearing the table to shuffle again, Kazu entered the game room, with a bitter look on his face.

"Hey, _Ani_," Tommy said. Kazu just grumbled, took a chair, and sat down between Daichi and Satsuki.

(the following conversation is all in English)

"So, what's up, bro?" Daichi asked.

"I just got off the phone with my travel agent," Kazu replied. "Turns out that my flight actually leaves tonight instead of tomorrow morning?"

"What?!" Daichi, Satsuki, and Tommy said.

"Yeah, that sucks," Kazu continued. "And the thing is, I would have called Yoshida and have him pick up the arcade machine and fly it back home, but I remembered that was busy."

"Who's Yoshida again?" Satsuki asked.

"Kaito Yoshida," Kazu said. "He runs that Kaitoshi Delivery Service in Yokohama."

"Oh," Sasuki said.

(end English)

"Uh, what are you guys saying?" Akane asked Tommy.

"Oh, sorry about that, Akane-chan," Tommy said. "We like to speak in English in order to prevent people from eavesdropping on private conversations."

"Oh…should have paid attention in English class," Akane said. "So, what's going on?"

"It's not really any of your business," Kazu said. "I'm going to go pack. I'll see ya guys later."

"See ya, man," Tommy said.

"Hey, what time does your flight leave, _Aniki_?" Daichi asked.

"Seven o'clock," Kazu said. "I want to be out of the house by three."

"You got it," Daichi said. As soon as Kazu was out of the room, the phone rang.

"I'll get it," Tommy said. He then stood up, walked over to the telephone in the game room and answered it. "Hello, there." He said in a seductive voice. He then had a disgusted look on his face and held the phone out, "Saki, it's for you."

"Hmm?" Satsuki said as she stood up and walked over to the phone. "Hello?"

"Is this Satsuki Gokajou?" the person on the other side asked.

"Yes," Satsuki said. "Who is this?"

"This is Shigeru Yamamoto," the guy said. "The pest-control specialist, and the guy you nearly killed when you left four days ago."

"Oh…" Satsuki said, remembering who he was now. "Wait, why are you calling me? Didn't you call Mutsuki already?"

"I tried calling her twice during the weekend, but she wasn't answering, and I tried calling her this morning, but she didn't answer again," Shigeru explained. "Plus, the other numbers on the list weren't answering, so I called you."

"Thank you, Mutsuki, for making me last again," Satsuki said sarcastically while covering the receiver. She then spoke into it again. "So, what's up on the house?"

"There are still a few bugs in the place, but if everything goes smoothly, the house should be habitable by Friday at the earliest," Shigeru said.

"Great," Satsuki said. "I'll try to let everyone know."

"Awesome," Shigeru said. "I'll get in touch with you later. Bye."

"Adieu," Satsuki said before hanging up.

"Who was that, Miss Satsuki?" Akane asked.

"Well, the place that I live at is being fumigated, and the guy doing the job just called to tell me how they were doing," Satsuki said. "Oh, I should see what the others are up to. I'd better use the living room phone." She was about to leave the game room when Tommy called her back.

"Saki, we're in the middle of a game here," Tommy said as he was shuffling the dominoes. "Can't it wait?"

"Well…" Satsuki was about to say when Mako suddenly entered the room.

"Hey, guys," Mako said.

"Hey, Mako," Daichi said.

"Hey, bro," Tommy said.

"Hi," Akane said nervously. Just then Satsuki turned to her brother.

"Oh, Mako-chan…" she said in a sing-song voice.

"I don't like that look," Mako said.

Soon, Mako was sitting in Satsuki's chair, taking her place in the domino game.

_**Red (Akane)—11, Yellow (Daichi)—0, Green (Mako)—0, Blue (Tommy)—0; (Satsuki's name was crossed out and Mako's was written over hers)**_

Satsuki then went to the living room phone and dialed a number.

"The person you have called, _Ichimonji Mutsuki_, is not available," the operator said on the other side. Satsuki growled upon hearing this. "At the tone, please record your message. When you have finished recording, you may hang up, or press the number sign for more options." Beep.

"Mutsuki, I don't know what the hell is going on, but you'd better call me back as soon as possible!" Satsuki said before hanging up. She then sighed before dialing Yayoi's number. "Oh, right! She doesn't have any reception." She then hung up and dialed Uzuki's cell phone number.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Fukushima, Kanna was hiding in the corner in the fetal position, Mizuki was trying to get her out of her slump, Shizuka was lazing about on the couch, forcing Natsuko and Takumi to sit on the floor. Natsuko was playing "Final Fantasy X" on Takumi's PS2, while the boy was watching. Yumiko, Kichi, and Toshi were sitting at a nearby table and chatting.

"You seem to be pretty good at this, Natsuko-neesan," Takumi said.

"Yeah, but I like the older Final Fantasy games better," Natsuko said. "Particularly Final Fantasy VI."

"Okay…" Takumi said, rolling his eyes a bit.

"Are you sure it's okay for him to be playing that, Kichiro-san?" Yumiko asked.

"Certainly," Kichi said. "And, please, call me 'Kichi'."

"Okay…Kichi," Yumiko said, blushing a bit.

"So, how long are you guys planning on staying here, Toshi?" Kichi asked his younger brother.

"Well, until we get the okay from Suzuki," Toshi said. "We don't know how long exactly, though."

"What did you guys do, attempt to assassinate the Emperor?" Kichi asked.

"NO!" Toshi said in shock. "Actually…"

"Excuse me, guys, but I can't get Kanna out of her slump," Mizuki said as she sat down next to Kichi.

"Thanks for trying, Miz," Toshi said. He then turned to Yumiko. "You want to try, Yumi?"

"Sure," Yumiko said. "If you'll excuse me…" She then stood up, bowed, and walked over to Kanna.

"So…you're an attorney?" Mizuki asked Kichi.

"Yeah," Kichi said. "But to tell you the truth, I'm thinking of going into detective work full-time."

"Oh…" Mizuki said. "Well, the reason I asked is because I'm going into law myself."

"Really?" Kichi asked.

"Mm-hmm," Mizuki nodded. "I'm specializing in child abuse cases."

"I see," Kichi said. "You know, Miz…can I call you Miz?"

"Certainly," Mizuki said.

"Miz, when I look at you, I see the eyes of a detective," Kichi said.

"Really?" Mizuki asked.

"Mm-hmm," Kichi said. "We Miyamotos can tell these sorts of things about people just by looking at them…age…potential occupation…sexual orientation…" Mizuki immediately blushed upon hearing that. "By the way you're blushing, I can tell that you are a lesbian." Mizuki immediately turned away from the boys. Kichi then turned to his brother. "Who's the lucky girl?" Toshi pointed to Natsuko. "Ah…good catch." At that moment, two 4-year-old twin boys entered the room. "Ah, Keisuke. Daisuke. I take it it's my turn to take you guys to school today."

"Yes, dad…" Keisuke said.

"It's your turn," Daisuke said.

"Okay," Kichi said. "Takumi, let's go."

"All right," Takumi said. "I'll see you later, Natsu-_neesan_."

"See ya, kid," Natsuko said. Takumi then stood up and walked over to his dad and younger brothers.

"Did Natsuki already leave, bro?" Toshi asked. Natsuki was Kichi's wife…and a bad cook.

"Yes, she did," Kichi said. "You know her…busy, busy, busy."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Toshi said.

"Anyways, I'll be taking three to school and then I'll be coming back here," Kichi explained.

"Don't you have to go to work, Kichi?" Yumiko asked.

"My office is on the 8th floor, so I'm near my kids whenever they're home," Kichi said.

"Oh…" the female Cosplayers said, including Shizuka. Kanna still wasn't moving an inch.

"Well, I'll see you guys later," Kichi said. "Try not to make a mess of the place while I'm gone, because…"

"I know, your housekeeper has the week off," Toshi said.

"Plus, I'm still trying to find a new nanny for the kids," Kichi said. "Any of you girls good with kids?"

"Can't," Natsuko said. "I'm still training for the Olympics."

"And I have my law studies," Mizuki said.

"And you do not want to put Shizuka in the same room with kids," Yumiko explained.

"HEY!" Shizuka complained. Kanna was still out of it.

"Just thought I'd ask," Kichi said. "I'll see you all later."

"See ya, bro," Toshi said as he forearm bashed his brother. Kichi then took his three kids and was about to leave the penthouse, when…

"Hey, wait a minute," Shizuka called back. "Where's that girl of yours?"

"Hitomi?" Kichi said. "Oh, she doesn't want to go to school. I'll let her stay here today, but she's going tomorrow. Adios." He and the boys then left the house, while Shizuka had an evil smile on her face.

"I don't like that look," Toshi said.

"I don't know why I didn't think of this in the first place," Shizuka said as she pulled out a remote from inside her pocket. She then pushed a button which caused Kanna to stand up and walk over to Shizuka in an almost robotic way. "There's a good girl. Now, go talk to that Hitomi chick about the time of the month."

"Yes, Master," Kanna said in an almost monotone voice. She then headed over to Hitomi's room while the other Cosplayers and Toshi just looked on in shock.

"Uh, Shizuka…" Yumiko spoke up.

"Yeah?"

"Where did you get that?"

"Oh, Kisaragi secretly installed a device in Kanna's body while we were staying in Yokohama," Shizuka explained. "She gave me the remote just before we left."

"Okay…" the Cosplayers said. After a minute of silence, Natsuko spoke up.

"So, Toshi…you can seriously tell how old someone is by looking at them?" she asked him.

"Yeah,"

"Prove it," Natsuko said.

"All right," Toshi said. "You, Natsuko Watanabe, are twenty-five years old."

"Wow," Natsuko said. "Where was I born?"

"Natsuko, I'm not a psychic, all right?" Toshi said. "I just have a gift for telling what people's ages are."

"How old is my dad?" Shizuka asked.

"You have a photo of him?" Toshi asked back. "Because I can't tell a person's age if I don't know what he or she looks like." Shizuka then pulled out a photo of her father from some time ago and handed it to Toshi.

"That picture's from back when I was in high school," Shizuka explained.

"Well, in that case…49," Toshi said.

"Damn…you're good," Shizuka said.

"Uh, Toshi…" Mizuki said meakly.

"Yes, Miz?"

"Your brother said that he could tell the sexual orientation of a person by looking at them," Mizuki said. "Can you do the same?"

"Well…" Toshi started to explain.

* * *

In Niigata, Uzuki, Kisaragi, Suzuki, and Kai were playing Cluedo. Uzuki was Miss Scarlet, Suzuki was Colonel Mustard, Kisaragi was Mrs. White, and Kai was Reverend Green.

"Takashi, are you sure it's all right for us to just lounge around here?" Uzuki asked nervously.

"Uzuki, I can assure you that this is a very secure building," Suzuki said. Tagawa is not getting in here…not with the security I have."

"Your security is basically a couple of guys in tokusatsu costumes, Takashi," Kai said.

"You have a problem with that, Yoshida?" Suzuki asked.

"No," Kai said. As he was double-checking his cards, Juspion was seen peeking over his shoulder. "Go away," Kai said without turning around. Juspion then slumped down and walked away.

"Kaito…it's your turn," Kisaragi said.

"Oh, it is?" Kai said. "Well, then…I accuse Reverend Green, in the hall, with the revolver." He then opened the 'confidential' envelope and looked at the solution cards, without showing them to his opponents. "Oh…it looks as though I was wrong."

"Well, in that case, I'll roll," Uzuki said as she was about to roll the dice.

"Kidding!" Kai said as he revealed the three cards: Reverend Green, the Hall, and the Revolver.

"Oh!" Uzuki said, upset at Kai for deceiving her like that. "Why do you have to do that, Kai?"

"I can't help it," Kai said. "I like to psyche people out when playing games."

"It's true. He does," Kisaragi said.

"Okay…" Uzuki said, rolling her eyes a bit. Just then, the Sailor Moon theme started playing.

"What is that?" Kai asked. He looked at Kisaragi, who simply shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh, that's my cell phone!" Uzuki said as she took it out of her pocket and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey, Uzuki," the person on the other side said.

"Hello, Satsuki," Uzuki said.

"That's the gym teacher, right?" Kai whispered to Kisaragi, who nodded in response.

"So, what's been going on?" Uzuki asked Satsuki on the phone.

"A lot," Satsuki said from the living room of the Gokajou mansion. "Chitose is out with one of my brothers now, and the rest of them are playing dominoes in the game room."

"Ah…" Uzuki said. "What are you doing right now?"

"I'm calling everyone to see how they're doing," Satsuki said. She then turned on the TV, showing people brawling on a talk show.

"Did Mutsuki tell you what's been going on at our house?" Uzuki asked.

"Here's the thing…Mutsuki just spent the past two days in jail," Satsuki explained. "Plus, when I tried to call her earlier today, she didn't answer."

"I see," Uzuki said. She then glanced over at Suzuki and the two lovebirds, who were setting up for another game. "I, uh…haven't gotten a chance to call anybody else. I've been busy having too much fun."

"Same here," Satsuki said. "Then again, I haven't been home in years. Oh, by the way, that bug guy did call me. He said that we should be back in our house by Friday."

"Awesome," Uzuki said.

"Hey, I'm going to go now," Satsuki said. "I have to call Kisaragi."

"Oh, Kisaragi's right here," Uzuki said.

"NANI?!" Satsuki said.

"Do you want to talk to her now?" Uzuki asked.

"Uh…sure," Satsuki said. Over in Niigata, Uzuki handed the phone to Kisaragi.

"Hello, Satsuki," Kisaragi said.

"Hi," Satsuki said, recovering from the shock. "How are you?"

"I'm doing well," Kisaragi said. Kai then stood up from his seat, knelt down behind Kisaragi and wrapped his arms around her body. "How are you doing?"

"Great," Satsuki said as she was changing the channel. She then heard Kisaragi giggling from the other side. "What's so funny, Kisaragi?"

"Nothing at all, Satsuki," Kisaragi said. Kai then slipped his hand up Kisarsgi's shirt. "Stop it, Kaito!"

"What's going on over there?" Satsuki asked suspiciously. "Who's Kaito?"

"Oh, that's just my boyfriend, Kaito Yoshida," Kisaragi said.

"EH?!" Satsuki said in total shock. "You…have…a…boyfriend?" She then fainted.

"Satsuki, are you still there?" Kisaragi asked.

"Kisaragi…has a…boyfriend?!" Satsuki said as she was lying down on the ground. She then regained her composure and picked herself up. "Sorry about that. I felt a little dizzy there. I think I'm going to go take a nap now. I'll talk to you guys later."

"Okay," Kisaragi said. "_Sayonara_."

"Bye," Satsuki said before hanging up.

Meanwhile, in the game room, Daichi had won the domino game.

"Once again, Daichi Gokajou is the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be," he said.

"I think Bret Hart would disagree with you on that one," Mako said. At that moment, Satsuki entered the room.

"Hi, guys," Satsuki said.

"Hey, Satsuki," the Gokajou bros said.

"I feel a little dizzy, so I'm going to go take a nap now," Satsuki said.

"What happened, sis?" Tommy asked.

"Don't ask," Satsuki said before shutting the door.

"Oh, crap! I need to get back to class!" Mako said before getting up and rushing out of the room, leaving Daichi, Tommy, and Akane left in the room.

"So, what now?" Akane asked.

"You know how to play poker, Akane-san?" Daichi asked.

* * *

Back at the condo, Fumitsuki was doing the dishes, Mina was playing "Smash Bros. DX" on the Gamecube, and Hazuki sat down next to her sister wearing a blue bathrobe.

"So…what are we going to do today?" Hazuki asked.

"Well, we _are_ going to the baseball game tomorrow," Mina said.

"I know that," Hazuki said. "But what are we going to do _today_?"

"I honestly don't know," Mina said, entranced with her new video game.

"Maybe we could just relax here after all the craziness that's happened over the past few days," Fumitsuki said.

"That sounds like a good idea, Fumitsuki," Mina said.

"Yeah," Hazuki said. "Oh, you know those guys that run the Mexicanese restaurant?"

"The Gonzales?" Mina asked.

"Yep," Hazuki said. "They're coming over later today to fix the oven for me."

"That'll be good," Mina said. "We won't have to eat out or have microwave dinners for a looooooooooooooooong time."

"Yeah," Fumitsuki said as she put the last of the dishes on the drying rack. "I'm going to go take a nap. Wake me up when the two get here, all right?"

"Okay, Mitsuki," Hazuki said. Fumitsuki then walked over from the kitchen into Mina's room to take a nap.

"So, are we just going to wait for them, Hazuki-neesan?" Mina asked.

"Yeah, pretty much," Hazuki said. "You know, this game is quite addicting!" At that moment, the doorbell rang. Hazuki sighed as soon as she heard it. "Excuse me, Mina." She then stood up, walked over to the intercom, and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hazuki…" Hazuki immediately turned off the intercom as soon as she heard her name.

"Hazuki!" Mina said.

"Sorry about that, Mina," Hazuki said. She then turned on the intercom again. "Hiroki, I told you not to call me!"

"Sorry, Hazuki, but I just had tell you this," Hiroki said. "You know that North American Tour I talked to you about earlier? Well, I was thinking of making it a World Tour. Now, I know you're on break, but I wanted to get your opinion on…"

"No," Hazuki said.

"No?" Hiroki said.

"No, I am not going on a World Tour, Hiroki Natsume," Hazuki said. "A tour of North America is grueling enough."

"Haz…" Hiroki said before Hazuki turned off the intercom again.

"That guy just won't leave me alone," Hazuki said.

* * *

Back in Sapporo, Mutsuki was just lying on her stomach in her bedroom. Her glasses were on her nightstand. Outside of the bedroom, Satomi was on the phone with her sister, Kiyoko Ito.

"Yeah, she's still in the slump, Kiyo-chan," Satomi said. She then knocked on the door. "Mutsuki, open this door right now!" She then spoke back into the phone. "I'm at my wits end here."

"Well, I'm afraid I can't help you, _Nee-chan_," Kiyoko said from her house in Sendai. She was virtually identical to Mutsuki, including the glasses, only she had black hair and was obviously many years older. "Besides, I have my own problems, in case you forgot."

"Oh, right," Satomi remembered. Kiyoko's husband, Renichi Ito, had been killed in a climbing accident the day before. "So, when are you planning on coming up here?"

"Well, the funeral's on Thursday, and I'll be leaving for Sapporo the day afterwards," Kiyoko said. "Besides, Dai can watch over the girls while I'm gone." She was referring to her oldest son, Yuudai Ito, and not Daichi Gokajou, just in case you were wondering.

"All right," Satomi said. "Maybe you'll have a chance to see Mutsuki…" She then knocked on Mutsuki's bedroom door again. "…if I ever get her out of her bedroom, that is."

"Kobayashi, right?" Kiyoko asked.

"Yep," Satomi said. "And don't tell me that you think Kobayashi should be hanged."

"I wasn't going to," Kiyoko said. "But I still think that Kobayashi is an absolute disgrace to humanity."

"Just don't say that in front of Hikaru," Satomi said. "You know those two are close."

"All right," Kiyoko said.

"I'm going to let you go, Kiyo-chan," Satomi said. She then banged on the door of Mutsuki's room again.

"Okay," Kiyoko said. "I'll see you on Friday, _Nee-chan_. Bye."

"Bye," Satomi said. She then took out a sledgehammer and was about to hit the door with it, when Mutsuki came out of the room, wearing her purple pajamas. "Oh, hi, Mu-chan."

"Hi, mom," Mutsuki said. "Were you about to break down my door with a sledgehammer?"

"Of course not!" Satomi said, hiding the sledgehammer behind her back. "So…glad to see you're finally up."

"Yeah," Mutsuki said. "I'm going to go to the kitchen and fix myself something."

"Okay," Satomi said. "You know…your father wants to talk to you as soon as he gets home, Mutsuki."

"Oh, all right," Mutsuki said. "He's not bringing…_him_ with him, is he?"

"Of course not," Satomi said. "I made sure of it." Just then, the phone rang again. "Hold on a sec." She then set the sledgehammer down and picked up the phone. "Hello?" She was then gesturing for Mutsuki to leave the hallway. "You know, you really picked a bad time to call." She kept gesturing, but Mutsuki didn't get the message. She then covered the receiver and whispered to her daughter. "Just go to the kitchen already!"

"Okay, okay!" Mutsuki whispered back. As soon as she was out of earshot, Satomi spoke into the phone again.

"So, what do you want, Kobayashi?" Satomi asked.

"I just want to talk to Mutsuki," Taky said, calling from his condominium.

"Listen, this is not the best time, Takahiro," Satomi said.

"I understand," Taky said. "Hey, listen, I was planning a guys' night out with Dr. Robinson, and I was wondering if…"

"You want Hikaru to come with you," Satomi said. "I overheard the call from earlier, Kobayashi."

"You…did?" Taky said somewhat nervously.

"Yes, I did," Satomi said. "Taky, you don't need to ask my permission to have my husband come with you on a guys' nigh tout."

"Whew," Taky said. "Thanks, Mrs. Ichimonji."

"Please, call me Tomi," Satomi said.

"Wouldn't that bother your husband?" Taky asked.

"Maybe it will, maybe it won't," Satomi said. She then saw Mutsuki heading back from down the hallway. Then she spoke into the phone. "And don't ever call this number again!" She then hung up.

"Who were you talking to, mom?" Mutsuki asked.

"Oh, no one in particular…" Satomi said, rolling her eyes a bit. Mutsuki had a suspicious look on her face, but shrugged it off and went back into her bedroom.

* * *

That's it for now. Please read and review as usual.

Notes: The costume that Shizuka changes into during breakfast was that of Ptera Ranger/Mei from "Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger" (1992).

While WWOR-TV is a real TV station (it is now a MyNetworkTV affiliate, branded as My9), "James McCarthy's Downtown" is NOT a real TV show.

And for those of you who didn't know already, Cluedo is the name of the game which is simply called "Clue" in North America.


	20. More Manic Monday

Disclaimer: I do not own "Happy Lesson," its characters or concepts. They belong to Mutsumi Sasaki and KSS. Reader discretion is advised and certain celebrities have been impersonated. No celebrities were harmed in the creation of this story.

This be the platinum chapter of "Chitose's Vacation." I'm dedicating it to Anime Rebirth and his father.

* * *

Back at the garage, Kenichi was on the phone, talking to Kazu. He was wearing sunglasses.

"You're kidding me," he said. "Okay, you're not kidding. So…when are you leaving the house?"

"3:00 at the latest," Kazu said. He was calling from his cell phone in his bedroom. "So chances are, you guys won't be back by the time I leave."

"Okay," Keni said.

"Say, what's the boy doing now?" Kazu asked.

"Yamato's with him," Keni said. "They're working on the General right now." He then looked out the window of the office to see Yamato and Chitose under the hood of an orange 1969 Dodge Charger.

"So, this was used on a TV show?" Chitose asked.

"Actually, no," Yamato said. "It was a regular '69 Charger that I picked up from Atlanta. I simply repainted it to look like the General. You know…Kenichi wanted to have the doors welded shut, but I talked him out of it."

"Really?" Chitose asked.

"Yep," Yamato said. "Crap, I just realized this car needs all new fuses. I'll have to go out and get some."

"Okay," Chitose said. "Hey, wait a minute…don't you owe Daichi and Mako money?"

"You _had_ to remind of that, didn't you?" Yamato said. Chitose simply nodded in response. Sighing, Yamato spoke again. "I guess I'll have to swing by the bank, too. I shouldn't be gone for more than an hour, Chitose."

"All right," Chitose said. Yamato was then about to leave with Keni showed up.

"Hold it," he said. "And just where do you think you are going?"

"I was just on my way out, Gokajou," Yamato said.

"Really?" Keni asked, not believing him. He then turned to Chitose."

"Yeah, he was just on his way to the bank and to get some fuses for the car," Chitose said.

"Ah, I see," Keni said. "I'm coming with you."

"WHAT?!" Yamato yelled. "No way."

"Hey, somebody needs to make sure you don't welch on the bet, man," Keni said.

"Come on, Keni," Yamato said. "Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I do," Keni said. "Chitose, how'd you like to come with us?"

"Are you going to show me some sights of the city as well?" Chitose asked.

"Absolutely," Keni said.

"Positively," Chitose said.

"Okey-dokey," Keni said. "So, which car are we taking?"

"Now, wait just a damn minute," Yamato said. "We are NOT taking one of these cars, Gokajou." Keni and Chitose just glared at him in response. "I'll be quiet."

"Good," Keni said. He then looked over all the cars before pointing to a red hatchback. "Hmm…that one."

"What kind of car is that?" Chitose asked.

"That…is a 1974 American Motors Hornet 'X' hatchback," Keni explained. "From the year I was born."

"Wait a minute…so that means that Satsuki's…" Chitose was about to say as the two of them walked to the car.

"Twenty-eight," Keni said as he put on a pair of sunglasses.

"I was just going to say that," Chitose said. "Wait a sec…Satsuki's only 28? I thought she was older."

"How old did you think she was, Chi?" Keni asked as he unlocked the doors.

"Uh…never mind," Chitose said. The two of them then got into the car. "Say, Keni…I'd like to know what your birthdays are."

"For all of us?" Keni asked.

"Yeah," Chitose said.

"Okay," Keni said. "Well, Kazu was born on May 5, 1970. Daichi's is easy to remember, his was July 2, 1972. Saki and I were born on May 19…1974, obviously. Mako's birthday was June 2, 1977, and Tommy's was June 15, 1984. Oh, and in case you were wondering, dad was born May 3, 1935, and Ma was born June 6, 1944."

"Ah…" Chitose said. At that moment, Yamato knocked on Keni's window.

"Can I help you?" Keni asked after he rolled down the window.

"You're not planning to leave without me, are you?" Yamato said. "Besides, you need me in order to get the money."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot," Keni said.

"Chitose, get in the back," Yamato said to Chitose.

"No way! Chitose is the guest, so he sits up front," Keni said.

"Gokajou…" Yamato growled at the young man before Keni simply opened the door and climbed out of the car. "I hate you." Yamato then got in the back seat and as soon as he was in, Keni got back in the car.

"Keni?" Chitose asked.

"Yeah?"

"Can we stop by a convenience store while we're out?"

"Sure, Chi," Keni said. "Why?"

"I need to buy a notebook," Chitose said.

"For school?" Keni asked.

"No, for all the information you just told me," Chitose said. Keni just chuckled before he started the car, pressed a button on his remote to open one of the garage doors and drove on out.

* * *

Back at the penthouse, everyone was bored.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Mizuki asked.

"I am so fucking bored!" Shizuka moaned.

"Shizuka, watch your mouth!" Yumiko scolded her. "There's a child here." She was referring to Hitomi, who was just sitting there.

"Toshi, isn't there anything fun here?" Natsuko asked.

"Well, I don't know much about the fun parts of Fukushima, but I do know that this place has a swimming pool," Toshi said. "It's indoors, and if we're lucky, we can get it to ourselves for a couple of hours. EH?!" He was then shocked to see all the Cosplayers in assorted swimsuits. Even Kanna was wearing a swimsuit. The only girl that wasn't wearing a swimsuit was Hitomi.

"There's a pool here? Really?" Mizuki asked.

"Maybe I can get some training done in the pool," Natsuko said.

"Girl, the pool's for relaxation, not for exhaustion," Shizuka said.

"Toshi-kun…you can get that pool for us, right?" Yumiko asked.

"Well, uh…give me a minute," Toshi said. He then stood up and walked out of the room.

"Five hundred yen that says he's not getting us that pool," Shizuka said to Natsuko.

"You're on," Natsuko said.

Two minutes later, Toshi came back into the room, wearing a navy blue tank top and yellow swim tunks.

"I got us the pool," Toshi said. Natsuko then smirked at Shizuka.

"I'll pay ya later," Shizuka said.

"You'd better," Natsuko said.

Meanwhile, at the Niigata penthouse, Uzuki and Suzuki were playing the Hong Kong version of Monopoly, while Kaito and Kisaragi were simply feeling around each other.

"Those two cannot keep their hands off of each other," Suzuki said.

"I've noticed," Uzuki said. Kai and Kisaragi's lips then started getting close to each other.

"Would you two mind doing that somewhere else, please?" Suzuki asked. He then pointed to a nearby room. "Over there's an extra bedroom."

"Thanks, Takashi," Kai said. "That okay with you, Kisa-chan?"

"Indubitably," Kisaragi said. The two then quickly got out of their chairs and ran into the bedroom. Kai made sure to lock the door behind him.

"So, now what?" Kai asked.

"Let's get out of these clothes, Kaito Yoshida," Kisaragi suggested, flirting a bit.

"Ooh, I love it when you're naughty, Kisaragi Ninomai," Kai said, smirking.

Back in the living room, Suzuki and Uzuki resumed their game.

"Uzuki…"

"Yes, Takashi?"

"Do you regret last night?" Suzuki asked.

"Not at all, Takashi," Uzuki said. "Do you?"

"No, not really," Suzuki said. He then rolled the dice and landed on The Peak (which is the equivalent of Boardwalk in American Monopoly), which was owned by Uzuki, and had a hotel on it. "Darn, looks like I've lost. I don't have the twenty grand."

"Good game, Takashi," Uzuki said.

"Same here, Uzuki," Suzuki said. "So, what should we do now?"

"What do you want to do?" Uzuki asked.

"Not what they're doing, that's for sure," Suzuki said. If you really want to know what Kisaragi and Kai are doing, they're simply feeling around each other's nude bodies.

"Okay…we could play another game," Uzuki suggested.

"Uzuki, we've played pretty much every game in the house," Suzuki said. "Why don't we watch some toku?"

"Okay," Uzuki said. "You have any Poitrine?"

"Oh, boy…" Suzuki said, rolling his eyes a bit.

Back in Fukushima, all of the Cosplay girls, Kanna, and Toshi were all enjoying themselves in the pool. Hitomi, in the meanwhile, was just sitting on the deck chair, just moping to herself. Toshi then resurfaced from underwater, and Kanna, not wearing her glasses, but wearing a bathing cap, resurfaced right next to him.

"Hey, Satoshi…"

"Yeah, Kanna?"

"How come Hitomi-chan doesn't want to join us?" she asked.

"Kanna, you're a mad scientist and a woman. You figure it out," Toshi said before he went back to swimming. Kanna thought about it for a second before realizing it.

"EWWW!" she said.

Toshi then reached the other girls.

"You know, you move quite fast for a big guy, Miyamoto," Shizuka said to him.

"Hey, I'm not that big, Shizuka," Toshi retaliated. "At least, not as big as I was in college."

"Toshi, I know I shouldn't as this, but how much did you weigh in college?" Natsuko asked.

"I weighed around 180 kg (~397 lbs) during my sophomore year, that was my largest," Toshi said.

"180?!" Natsuko, Mizuki, Shizuka, and Yumiko said.

"And how tall are you, Toshi?" Mizuki asked. "I noticed that you're quite taller than the average Japanese man. You're probably even taller than the average American man."

"190 centimeters (~6'2¾")," Toshi said.

"DAMN!" Natsuko said. "You could play for the Japanese national basketball team."

"Nah, I was much too big for them," Toshi said.

"Well, maybe you could have been a sumo wrestler," Shizuka said. Yumiko and Toshi just glared at her in response. "I'll be quiet."

"Hey, Toshi…"

"Yeah, Yumiko-chan?"

"Are you really sure it's okay for us to be doing this?" Yumiko asked. "I mean, knowing that Tagawa's goons are probably still after us."

"Yumiko, don't worry about it," Toshi said. "Just forget about Tagawa and enjoy yourself." He then started swimming again.

"Okay…" Yumiko said, obviously still worried. She started swimming a bit again.

Back at the Saitama hotel, Gai, along with his new second, a man simply named Tendou, were looking over a map of Japan, which had six cities marked with blue flags.

"Sapporo, Niigata, Tokyo, Kobe, Okayama, Fukuoka…why do you have these marked, boss?" Tendou asked Gai.

"Because these are the places where Takashi Suzuki has a place of residence," Gai said. "Uzuki has to be in one of these cities. I just know it!"

"If you say so, sir," Tendou said.

"I want you to send some men to those locations," Gai said. "They can use whatever methods as they wish to capture her, but I want her alive! Make absolute sure that they know that."

"You want this Uzuki alive, got it," Tendou said. He then left the hotel room while Gai lit another cigarette. Just then, there was a knock on the door, which Gai walked over to and answered.

"Sir, we've received some complains from some of the other guests," a young woman said. "You DO know that this is a nonsmoking room, right?" Gai simply blew smoke in that woman's face.

"Buzz off," Gai said before slamming the door in her face. Just as the girl was about to walk away, the door opened again, and she was grabbed by Gai, pulling her into the room.

* * *

Back at the Akaishi Mountains, the Toyota Celsior pulled up next to the cabin.

"Yayoi?" Susumu said as he entered the house, carrying a few bags. There was no response coming from anywhere in the cabin, so he decided to put the stuff away that he got from the supermarket. After he was done, he knocked on the door to Yayoi's room. "Yayoi, are you in there?" He waited for about a minute, but heard no response. "She's probably taking a nap." He then walked over to his bedroom, and opened the door…finding Yayoi Sanzenin standing completely naked in front of him. "Ya…Yayoi!"

"Hello, Susumu," Yayoi said in a seductive voice.

"Wha…what are you doing my bedroom naked?!" Susumu asked.

"I wanted to surprise you," Yayoi said.

"Well, this is a hell of a surprise, I'll tell you that!" Susumu said. "Yayoi, we really need to talk."

"So talk," Yayoi said, not moving an inch.

"Yayoi, you could at least cover yourself up!" Susumu said.

"I don't really feel like covering myself, Susumu," Yayoi said.

"Well, could you at least sit down, please?" Susumu asked. Yayoi then sat down on the floor. Sighing, Susumu sat down on the floor across from her. "Now…we need to talk about this relationship."

"If you want to break up with me…" Yayoi said.

"I wasn't going to say that," Susumu said. "I just…I think we should keep this relationship a secret from everyone for the time being."

"So you want us to stay together?" Yayoi asked.

"Of course I do," Susumu said. "Yayoi…I love you."

"Susumu…" Yayoi said with a tear in her eye. She then closed her eyes and the two shared a brief kiss on the lips.

A few minutes later, both were on Susumu's bed, with Susumu using his finger to trace circles on Yayoi's tummy.

"Susumu, I forgot to ask…do you have any brothers or sisters?" Yayoi asked.

"Four sisters," Susumu said. "An older sister, a younger sister, and…"

"Four half-sisters," Yayoi said. "I've heard the joke before. Wait a minute…I thought you said your dad never remarried."

"I lied," Susumu said. "He remarried after I left the house. So, actually, I have an older sister, a younger sister, and four stepsisters, but they're all younger than my younger sister."

"Okay…" Yayoi said, more confused than ever.

"Let me put it this say," Susumu said, getting a pad of paper and a pen. "This is me, Susumu Arisaka. I have an older sister…Sayoko Arisaka. A younger sister…Sumiko Arisaka. And my four stepsisters: Mai, Mayumi, Rika, and Reiko Kikuchi-Arisaka."

"Ah…" Yayoi said.

"What about your family?" Susumu asked. "I mean, your normal family. Any brothers or sisters?"

"None," Yayoi said. "I was an only child. My father actually did want to have a son, but my mom need to have an emergency hysterectomy when I was just starting kindergarten."

"Oh, my," Susumu said. "What happened to her?"

"She survived," Yayoi said. "But it took her a while to recover, both physically and emotionally."

"Ah…" Susumu said.

"I haven't seen my mother in nearly six years, Susumu-san," Yayoi said as the turned over so that she was laying on her stomach. "I want to see her again, but…"

"You're not exactly on speaking terms with your father, right?" Susumu said, now tracing Yayoi's back.

"Yeah," Yayoi said. "I mean, you know we've never really gotten along. It's just…we haven't spoken since my Seijin Shiki ceremony, and almost every time I call my parents' place, my dad answers and I chicken out."

"Really?" Susumu said. "Yayoi…I really think you should talk to your dad. I know you don't like him, but I know that deep down, you still love him, and that he still loves you. I mean, look at me…my dad and I aren't the best of friends, but at least we still love each other."

"I don't know…" Yayoi said. At that moment, Susumu's right slid underneath Yayoi's body and touched her breast. "Ooh, Susumu…"

"Will you think about it now?" Susumu said, moving his left hand underneath Yayoi's thighs.

"OOH!" Yayoi said. "Okay, okay! I'll think about it."

"Thank you," Susumu said, removing his hands from Yayoi's body. He then stood up off of the bed and was about to leave the room.

"Susumu…you got me in the mood again," Yayoi said.

"Well, in that case…" Susumu said as he went back to the bed, flipped Yayoi back onto her back and started licking her. Yayoi giggled as Susumu licked up and down her body.

* * *

Over at the condo, somebody buzzed the intercom.

"Just a second," Hazuki called out. She put the controller down and walked over to the intercom to answer it. "Yes?"

"_Buenas Tardes_," the person on the other side said.

"Raul?" Hazuki said.

"No, it's Rafael," the person said. "Raul is with me, and so is Pablo. May we come in?"

"Certainly," Hazuki said. "I'll buzz you in." She then turned off the intercom. "Mina, go wake Mitsuki up."

"Sure thing, _Nee-san_," Mina said. She then turned off the Gamecube and went over to her room to wake up Fumitsuki, who as resting comfortable in her bed. "Fumitsuki…" she said while shaking her to wake her up. Fumitsuki simply groaned in response. "Fumitsuki?"

"Ten more minutes, ma," Fumitsuki muttered in her sleep.

"Fumitsuki, wake up!" Mina said. "The Gonzales brothers are almost here!"

"Huh?" Fumitsuki said, waking up slowly. "The Gonzales are coming?"

"Yes," Mina said. "Weren't you listening earlier?"

"Sorry, Mina," Fumitsuki said as she put on her glasses. "I guess I forgot."

"It's okay," Minazuki said, smiling.

A few minutes later, Hazuki opened the front door, revealing Raul, Rafael, and Pablo behind it.

"Hi, guys," Hazuki said. "Hey, if you're all here, who's running the restaurant?"

"We closed it for the afternoon," Raul said.

"It won't make our customers happy, but we don't really trust anyone else to watch over the place while we're gone," Rafael said.

"I see," Hazuki said. "Hey, don't you have school, uh…uh…"

"Pablo," he said. "And, no, I don't…at least, not yet. I start here in September. I'm still looking for someone to take me in, though."

"Why don't you just live with these guys, Pablo?" Hazuki asked.

"He is now, but he wants to live someone else when school starts," Rafael said.

"I'm Puerto Rican, they're Mexican, enough said," Pablo said. Raul and Rafael glared at him in response. Pablo then whispered into Hazuki's ear. "I'm actually half-and-half, but I consider myself Puerto Rican since I was born there."

"Oh," Hazuki said. At that moment, Minazuki and Fumitsuki entered the living room area, with Fumitsuki pulling her hair back into a ponytail.

"_¡Hola, mamacita!_" Pablo said upon seeing Fumitsuki.

"Oh, my God!" Fumitsuki moaned.

"You know…you look much better with your hair down, _mamacita_," Pablo said.

"Could you not call me that, please?" Fumitsuki asked.

"_Pablo, que es suficiente_," Raul said to Pablo. (That's enough.)

"Where's your stove, Señorita Hazuki?" Rafael asked.

"I'll show you," Hazuki said.

"Uh, Pablo?" Mina asked.

"_¿Si?_"

"What exactly does 'mamacita' mean?" Minazuki wondered.

"It means 'one hot mama'," Pablo said.

"I see…you really think Fumitsuki's hot?" Mina asked. Fumitsuki was blushing profusely as the two were talking.

"Yes, I do," Pablo said.

Some time later, Raul was checking the inside of the oven, which had been unplugged and turned off for safety.

"Well?" Hazuki said.

"I can fix this," Raul said. "It'll just take a couple of hours. Five at the most."

"Okay," Hazuki said. "You guys need my help?"

"Uh, no thank you," Rafael said. "We can handle this."

"No problem," Hazuki said. Over by the TV, Minazuki was putting in a third controller in the Gamecube.

"I'm not going to play, Mina," Fumitsuki said.

"Oh, okay," Mina said, removing the third controller. "Do you want to play Smash Brothers, Pablo?"

"Which version? Melee or the original?" Pablo asked.

"Uh…this is Smash Brothers Deluxe," Mina said as she turned on the Gamecube.

"Ah…so this is Melee, then," Pablo said.

"I guess that's what they call it in Puerto Rico," Mina said.

"Well, I was born in Puerto Rico, but my family lives in Tampa," Pablo said, much to Minazuki's confusion. "That's a city in Florida." Mina was still confused. "I'll show you a map of it later. Anyways, I got selected for this exchange program because I've always had an interest in the Japanese culture."

"Okay…" Fumtisuki said. "Just as long as you don't go to my school, I think we'll get along fine."

"By the way, which school are you going to, Pablo?" Mina asked.

"Koyomi Academy," Pablo said. "I start in September. I've actually only been in Tokyo for a week now, and they figured it was best that I start at the beginning of the upcoming semester." Fumitsuki's face turned completely white. "You okay, _chica_?"

"Please kill me now," Fumitsuki moaned.

Just then, Hazuki sat down on the couch next to the half-conscious Fumitsuki, with Mina and Pablo sitting on the floor.

"Hey, guys," Hazuki said.

"Hi, sis," Mina said. "Pablo and I are playing Smash Brothers."

"I see that," Hazuki said. "Hey, Pablo, just how are you able to speak Japanese so fluently?"

"As I said to your _hermana_, _Señorita _Hazuki, I've always had an interest in the Japanese culture," Pablo said. "Plus, in addition to Japanese, I also speak English and Spanish fluently."

"Ah…" Hazuki said, pausing a bit before speaking up again. "Can you teach me a little of both, please?

* * *

Meanwhile, at the game room of the Gokajou Mansion…

"Four ladies," Daichi said. "Read 'em and weep."

"Oh, lost again!" Akane said.

"That's 10 hands in a row," Tommy said. "How the hell does he do it?"

"I cheat," Daichi said. Both Akane and Tommy then glared at him. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! But you know I _am_ the gambling master in this family."

"That's what you think, laddie," Tommy said in Sean Connery's voice.

"Hey, isn't that that Irish actor from the movies?" Akane asked.

"Scottish," Tommy corrected her. "Sean Connery is Scottish."

"But you were able to speak with his voice in Japanese," Akane said. "How do you do that?"

"I'm gifted," Tommy said. Just then, Mako entered the room.

"Hi, guys," Mako said. "Hey, where's Satsuki?"

"She's taking a nap in her bedroom," Daichi said. "Hey, what are you doing here, Mako?"

"Dad let me off early," Mako said. "Hey, mind if I take a seat?"

"Not at all," Tommy said. "In fact, Daichi's been kicking our asses all day."

"Noted," Mako said. "Oh, by the way, Kazu's wondering when you're going to be ready to drive him to the airport, _nii-chan_."

"I'm ready if he is," Daichi said. "See ya guys later." He then got up and was about to leave.

"Oh, and he wants you to take Akane back to her dormitory," Mako continued. Daichi then stopped and turned back to face the group.

"Did Kazu really say that?" Daichi asked, as he saw the nervous look on Akane's face.

"Yes, he did," Mako said. At that moment, the phone rang. "I'll get it." He then walked over to the phone. "And could you guys leave the room for a bit?"

"Sure, Mako-chan," Daichi said. Then he, Akane, and Tommy left the room.

"Do I have to go back to the university, Daichi-san?" Akane asked. "If the dean catches me, I'll be expelled, and my parents will probably not let me come back home."

"Relax, Akane-chan," Daichi said. "I'll make sure you get back without the dean noticing."

"_Arigato_, Daichi-san," Akane said.

"Hey, can I at least get a goodbye kiss?" Tommy asked. Akane then grabbed him and forced him into a very long kiss.

"Whoa, baby!" Daichi said in English.

Back in the game room…

"Hello?" Mako said.

"Hello, Gokajou," the person on the other side said.

"Misaki!" Mako said. "So, how was the press conference?"

"I decided not to attend, so I flew back home today," Misaki said.

"I see," Misaki said. "So, I take it you've arrived in Tokyo safely?"

"Actually, my father arranged to me to fly back to Okinawa on a private plane," Misaki said.

"Really?" Mako asked.

"Yep."

"Wow, you're lucky to have such a great father," Mako said.

"I know," Misaki said.

"So, what are you going to do now that you're home, Miss Gold Medalist?" Mako asked.

"Well, right now, I am soaking in a nice, hot bath," Misaki said, soaking in a bubble bath, while holding onto the cell phone, which was waterproofed, in case you were wondering.

"I, uh…didn't really want to hear that, Misaki-san," Mako said, blushing profusely upon hearing that. "I shouldn't be saying this, but you're giving me sick thoughts."

"Completely unintentional," Misaki said. "Hey, wait a minute, shouldn't you be helping your dad teach wrestlers?"

"He let me out early today," Mako asid. "In fact, on Wednesday, we're holding our class at the Asty."

"Ah, interesting," Misaki said. "Well, I'm going to let you go so I can enjoy my bath."

"All right," Mako said. "By the way, I'm leaving for the States on August 8th, so I'd like to see you before then, okay?"

"I'll try," Misaki said. "See ya, Mako."

"Bye, Misaki," Mako said before hanging up. On Misaki's side, she simply sank into the bubbly bathwater.

Mako then walked out of the game room, only to find nobody in the hall.

"Where is everyone?" Mako asked himself.

"No, you cannot come with us, Tommy," Daichi said as he and the others exited Kazu's room.

"But WHY?!" Tommy moaned.

"Because I'm already mad at you for trying to bribe me into not telling dad about Akane," Kazu said.

"Oh, yeah," Tommy said.

"Guys, can you please keep it down?" Mako whispered. "You know how Satsuki feels when somebody wakes her up from her nap."

"I don't," Akane said. "How does she feel?"

"Very damn cranky," Tommy said. At that moment, the door to Satsuki's room opened, revealing a cranky Satsuki Gokajou behind it, wearing a blue bathrobe.

"Could you guys please shut up?" Satsuki asked. "I'm trying to nap here."

"Sorry, Satsuki," Kazu, Daichi, Mako, Akane, and Tommy said. Satsuki was then about to shut the door.

"Hey, Satsuki…could you do me a favor please?" Kazu asked.

"Yes, _Ani_?" Satsuki said with a bit of sarcasm in her voice.

"Could you call Kenichi and have him tell Chitose that plane's going to be leaving tonight instead of tomorrow morning? I probably won't see him for the rest of your stay, but I'll try to come back as soon as I can, though," Kazu said.

"Uh…could you say that again, please?" Satsuki asked. Kazu simply facefalled. "Never mind, I think I got the gist of it. See ya later, bro." She then shut the door behind her.

"Great, so what am I going to do while Daichi's taking Akane back home, and Satsuki-neesan's napping?" Tommy asked.

"Let's go watch some of my Ulitmate Boxing videos," Mako suggested.

"Does it have nudity?" Tommy asked.

"Of course not!" Mako said.

"Then, no," Tommy said. "I'll just go into my cave and watch those banned episodes of Wedding Peach." And with that, Tommy went into his bedroom.

"He has banned episodes of Wedding Peach?" Akane asked. The three brothers just shrugged.

* * *

Back in the AMC, Keni's cell phone rang.

"That's mine," Keni said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "You answer it, Chi."

"Okay," Chitose said, taking the phone from Kenichi and answering it. "Hello?"

"Chitose?"

"Oh, hi, Satsuki!" Chitose said. "Keni has to concentrate on driving, so he gave the phone to me. So, what's up?"

"I just wanted you to know that Kazu's flight is leaving tonight instead of tomorrow, so Dai's taking him to the airport right now," Satsuki said. "But we made him promise that he'd come back before you and I leave."

"Okay," Chitose said.

"So, how the day with Keni been going so far?" Satuski then asked.

"It's been going great," Chitose said. "By the way, do you know Keni's work buddy, Yamato Suzuki?"

"The name sounds familiar," Satsuki said. "Why?"

"Well, they've got many, many, MANY classic cars over at his garage in town," Chitose said. "We're riding in one right now."

"Ah…"

"We just left the bank a few minutes ago," Chitose said. He then whispered into the receiver. "Yamato owed some money to Daichi and Mako."

"Really? They probably bet on that Oshiro in the Martial Arts Championship," Satsuki said. "Well, I was just taking a nap, but I was woken up, so I thought I'd call and check up on you. Keni hasn't been smoking, has he?"

"Of course not," Chitose said. "And he's not chewing the nicotine gum, either."

"Okay…" Satsuki said, rolling her eyes a bit. "Listen, Chitose…you may find this hard to believe, but when I was talking to Kisaragi earlier, I found out something unbelievable."

"What's that, Satsuki?" Chitose asked.

"She…has a boyfriend," Satsuki said.

"Okay," Chitose said.

"WHAT?!" Satsuki said in shock. "You just accept that nonchalantly?"

"Yeah," Chitose said. "I mean, what's unbelievable about Kisaragi having a boyfriend?"

"Chitose…I don't have a boyfriend, Mutsuki doesn't have a boyfriend, Yayoi doesn't have a boyfriend, Uzuki doesn't have a boyfriend, Kisaragi is the only one of us that has a boyfriend!!" Satsuki said. "And I never thought of her as the type to have a boyfriend!"

"Okay…" Chitose said, noticing Keni pull into the parking lot of a convinence store. "I'll let you go now, Satsuki. We'll probably be back around 7:00 or 8:00."

"All right," Satsuki said. "See you then, Chitose."

"Bye," Chitose said as he hung up. He then gave the phone back to Kenichi.

Soon, Chitose, Kenichi, and Yamato entered the store.

"Uh, Yamato?" Keni said, holding out his hand.

"Do I have to give it to you now?" Yamato asked.

"Yes," Keni said. Sighing in disgust, Yamato gave him two 2000 yen bills.

"Thank you," Keni said. Chitose, in the mean time, was looking for a notebook when he bumped into someone.

"Ooh! Sorry about that!" Chitose said.

"Why don't you watch where you're going, punk?!" the guy said. Keni turned to see who Chitose had bumped into.

"Not this guy again!" Keni said. It was Rokuro Yoshida, Satsuki's ex-boyfriend.

"Hey, I said I was sorry!" Chitose said.

"Chi, what's going on here?" Keni asked.

"Gokajou," Rokuro said. "You know this punk kid?"

"This punk happens to be dating my sister," Keni said.

"Really?" Rokuro said. "You look a little young to be Satsuki's boyfriend. What's wrong, kid? Didn't your mother ever raise you right?" At that moment, Chitose punched him in the jaw, knocking him to the ground.

"Don't you EVER talk about my mother like that!" Chitose said. Rokuro then touched his jaw, which felt a little dislocated.

"You son of a bitch!" Rokuro shouted, standing up and rushing to Chitose, who simply tripped him, causing him to land on his stomach. Chitose then locked his hands and pulled back on Rokuro's face and neck, all while wrapping his legs around his left arm. "AAH!"

"Are you going to talk about my mother or my girlfriend like that again?" Chitose asked.

"NO! NO! JUST LET ME GO, YOU CRAZY BASTARD!" Rokuro said. Chitose then let go of the hold, while Rokuro held his face and neck in pain.

"Chitose…did Mako teach you that move?" Keni asked.

"Yeah," Chitose said. "After demonstrating it on me for about two minutes."

"Hitotose…you are one tough hombre," Yamato said. "I definitely don't want to mess with you now."

"Comes from growing up in a tough neighborhood," Chitose said.

"He didn't really grow up in a tough neighborhood, but he does know how to fight," Keni said, whispering in Yamato's ear.

"Ah…" Yamato said. At that moment, the store owner walked over to the group.

"Gentlemen, I'm going to have to ask you all to leave," he said to them.

"Can we at least buy something, first?" Keni said, showing his identification to the owner.

"Kenichi Gokajou?" the owner said, reading Keni's driver's licence. "Sure, you can get something. Anything, just pay for it at get out."

"One notebook…and a couple of pens to go with it," Keni said.

Soon, all three left the store, with Chitose holding onto his new notebook and the.

"By the way, you don't have to pay me back, Chitose," Keni said. "Just think of it as a gift."

"Thanks, Keni," Chitose said. "By the way, why did the owner freak out after seeing your driver's licence?"

"Because he used to be one of my dad's students," Keni said.

"Ah…" Chitose said. All three then got back into the car.

"Aw, man, I almost forgot!" Keni said. "Chitose, if you look across the street…that's where Kondo's Game Palace used to be at until it closed about six years ago."

"You hung out at an adult video store?" Chitose asked.

"Chitose, it was not an adult video store when we were kids," Keni said, a bit angered.

"I know, Keni. I was messing with you," Chitose said. Keni just chuckled at him as he started the car and drove off.

As they were driving along, Chitose was writing in his new notebook.

"Ichimonji Mutsuki," Chitose said, writing Mutsuki's full name in the notebook.

"Who's she?" Yamato asked.

"My homeroom teacher," Chitose said. "Gokajou Ken'ichi."

"Yeah?" Keni said.

"How do you write the first part of your name, Keni?" Chitose asked, having written all but the fourth kanji of Keni's name.

"Here," Keni said, taking the notebook and pen from Chitose, and writing the '健' kanji for him. "There."

"Thanks," Chitose said. He then continued writing. "Date of Birth: May 19, 1974. Place of Birth: Tokushima City."

"By the way, Chi, my name is written in katakana, given name first, family name second, and I was born on May 31, 1970, in Honolulu, Hawaii," Yamato said.

"I'll try to remember that, Suzuki-san," Chitose said.

"Hey, call me Yamato," Yamato said.

"Thanks," Chitose said as he continued writing in the notebook. "Gokajou Satsuki…"

* * *

After the swim was over, everyone went back to the penthouse. Kichi was now in the living room, taking a break from work and talking to Toshi.

"So, how'd it go?" he asked his younger brother.

"We all had fun," Toshi said. "Shizuka even behaved herself."

"Ah, that's right. She likes squeezing women's breasts," Kichi said. "Where are they all now?"

"They're back in their rooms, relaxing," Toshi explained.

"I'll betcha some people are relaxing better than others," Kichi said.

"Aniki!" Toshi said.

Over in one of the bedrooms, Mizuki was in her blue bra and panties folding her clothes while Natsuko, wearing a green t-shirt, and a black bra and panties underneath, was on the phone with her father.

"Really?" Natsuko said, hearing the news about her uncle Renichi's death. "I'm sorry to hear that, dad. So, when are you leaving Bangkok?"

"First thing Wednesday morning," Kazuki said, calling from his hotel. "I found out from your cousin Yuudai just this morning. Are you coming to the funeral?"

"I probably won't be able to," Natsuko said. "Things have been very hectic over here. But tell them they have my condolences."

"I will," Kazuki said. "Next time I have a chance to talk will probably be before I leave on Wednesday."

"Okay. I'll talk to you then, daddy," Natsuko said.

"_Sayonara_, Natsuko-chan," Kazuki said.

"Bye." She then hung up the cell phone and gazed over at her girlfriend. More specifically, her rear end.

"What?!" Mizuki said, noticing Natsuko's gaze at her.

"You have a really hot butt, Mizuki," Natsuko said.

"Oh, stop!" Mizuki said, blushing profusely.

"I'm serious," Natsuko said. Mizuki just shrugged it off before resuming folding her clothes. However, Natsuko snuck up behind her and pulled down her panties. Mizuki didn't seemed to be too fazed by it, though.

"You just couldn't resist, could you?" Mizuki asked.

"Naw…" Natsuko said. She then started touching Mizuki's butt cheeks, and pinching them slightly, causing her to giggle a bit. "Ticklish, are we?"

"Well, in that case…" Mizuki said, turning herself around, much to Natsuko's disappointment. "Turn around."

"Okay," Natsuko moaned. As soon as her back was to Mizuki, the raven-haired woman then pulled down Natsuko's panties.

"You know…you've got a hot butt, too," Mizuki said.

"Yeah, but not as hot as yours," Natsuko admitted.

"Natsuko…" Mizuki said, blushing profusely upon hearing that. She then got a smirk on her face and forced Natsuko onto the bed. She then removed the green shirt and started tickling her, causing Natsuko to laugh uncontrollably.

Back with the brothers…

"Well, what about your girlfriend?" Kichi asked.

"Yumiko is not my girlfriend," Toshi said.

"Right…" Kichi said. "She like the Tigers?"

"I don't know," Toshi said. "She might not be a baseball fan, Kichi."

"Why don't you go and find out, bro?" Kichi asked.

"Aniki, she's changing," Toshi said. "I don't want to bother her."

"Come on, Satoshi," Kichi said. "You're almost 30 years old, and you're not married. You need to find a girl, and you need to find one fast, otherwise, you'll end up old and alone like Uncle Eisaku." Toshi sighed in response.

"You really want me to ask her out, don't you?" he then asked.

"She looks like the right person for you, man," Kichi said.

"All right," Toshi said. He then stood up and was about to go over to Yumiko's room when he stopped and faced his brother again. "Hey, Aniki…shouldn't you be picking up the kids right now?"

"Oh, you're right!" Kichi said, getting up and running out the door. Toshi then chuckled before walked over to Yumiko's room. He then knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Yumiko asked from inside.

"It's Toshi," he said. "Are you decent?"

"Yes," Yumiko said.

"Can I come in and talk for a bit?"

"Certainly," Yumiko said. Toshi then opened the door, revealing Yumiko sitting in front of a mirror, brushing her hair. She wasn't wearing her glasses. "What's up, Toshi?"

"This may not be my business, but have you ever had a boyfriend before?" Toshi asked.

"One," Yumiko said, not turning around. "His name was Katsuyuki Asahina. We knew each other throughout , but we pretty much went our separate ways during college, when…"

"When you joined the Cosplay Group, right?" Toshi asked.

"Yeah," Yumiko said. "I haven't been able to find a steady boyfriend since, and that was six years ago. Satoshi…" She then stopped brushing her hair and turned to face Toshi. "…are you asking me out?"

"Uh…no, not really," Toshi said. "It was actually Kichi's idea for me to ask you out, but, the thing is…"

"I'd love to," Yumiko said.

"EH?!"

"But…can we wait until this craziness passes first?" Yumiko asked.

"Cer…certainly," Toshi said. Yumiko then stood up and kissed Toshi's right cheek.

Soon, Toshi walked out of Yumiko's room and shut the door behind him. He then fainted. Kanna and Shizuka were walking by when he fainted.

"Is he okay?" Kanna asked.

"I don't know, but I'm not carrying him back to his room," Shizuka said.

* * *

Back in Tokyo, Raul had finished fixing the stove, and was now making a big dinner for Hazuki, Mina, and Fumitsuki. The latter girl was currently on a walk, having needed to get out for a bit. At that moment, the intercom buzzed. Hazuki, wearing a white bathrobe because she just got out of the bath, went up to it.

"Yo," she said.

"Can I please come in?" the voice on the other side belonged to Fumitsuki.

"Oh, hey, Mitsuki," Hazuki said. "Yeah, I'll buzz you in."

"Oh, and I'll be bringing someone in with me," Fumitsuki stated.

"A friend of yours?" Hazuki asked.

"Not…exactly," Fumitsuki said.

"WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON THOSE GONZALES BROTHERS, I AM GOING TO KICK…THEIR…ASS!" that person turned out to be Michiru "Mike" Akiyama.

"Oh, boy…" Rafael said.

"Whatever you do, don't let that woman in here," Raul said.

"Uh…I'll let you guys in," Hazuki said.

"_Traidor_," Raul said.

"Judas," Rafael said.

A minute later, Fumitsuki entered the condo, with a very angry Mike standing behind her.

"Hi, Mike!" Mina said, who had been sitting on the couch playing Smash Brothers for the past few hours. However, she shrieked upon seeing Mike's face. Mike then walked past Fumitsuki and towards the cowering Gonzales brothers, whom she lifted onto their feet with an arm each.

"Hi, Mike," Rafael said nervously.

"I had just gotten out of work, and I was going to get my usual Mexicanese Monday dinner, but then I see a sign that says that the restaurant is closed," Mike said, gritting her teeth. "I now have to ask you this…WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!"

"Didn't you read the notice on there, Mike?" Raul asked nervously.

"YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK!" Mike shouted, causing the two brothers to whimper.

"You know…I've never seen Raul or Rafael emasculated like that," Pablo said to Minazuki.

"I see," Minazuki said.

"Uh, it's all my fault, Mike," Hazuki said. "My stove wasn't working, and I asked them if they could fix it for me."

"Oh, is that it?" Mike asked. "Okay." She then turned to the Gonzales again and glared at them. "DON'T LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN, GOT IT?!"

"_¡Si, señorita!_" Raul and Rafael said.

"So…what's for dinner?" Mike then asked cheerfully.

"Wait a minute…you are _not_ eating here!" Fumitsuki said. Mike then turned to Fumitsuki and looked down at her, glaring angrily. "Uh…okay, help yourself then."

Soon, everyone was at the table for dinner.

"Itadakimasu!" all seven people at the table said. They then started eating.

"Hazuki, don't eat too fast!" Mina said. "You don't want to get indigestion."

"I'll be fine, Mina," Hazuki said. "I swear, you worry too much."

"And speaking of indigestion, I made sure not to make yours too spicy, Fumitsuki," Rafael said.

"Thanks," Fumitsuki said. The group continued eating for a bit before Minazuki spoke up.

"So…which part of Mexico are you guys from?" she asked Raul.

"We're from Tijuana, Minazuki," Raul said. "Near the American-Mexican border. Our sister, Verónica, was selected as part of a special exchange program. Our family moved out here in the early 80s, and we've been living here ever since."

"Ah…" Mina said. "Are you any of you guys married?" She blushed as the asked the question.

"Unfortunately, no," Rafael said. "Raul and I are both 'swinging bachelors' as the saying goes."

"I see," Mina said, still blushing.

"Forget it, Rokumatsuri. They're way out of your league," Mike said.

"What about your parents?" Hazuki asked Rafael.

"Well, they moved back to Mexico after I graduated from high school," Rafael said. "As for Roni, she currently lives in San Diego, but she goes across the U.S. to see various wrestling events, plus she sometimes comes here to visit us. She isn't married either, by the way."

"Ah…" Hazuki said.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters, Pablo?" Mina asked.

"Two brothers and two sisters. I'm the youngest," Pablo said. "They all live back in Florida. I also have several nieces and nephews. Anything else you want to know?"

"No…thank you," Mina said. Everyone then resumed eating, while Pablo was flirting with Fumitsuki, who just simply turned away from him. Pablo then whispered something into Minazuki's ear.

"You want to know something interesting about Mike's brother?" Pablo asked. "He's gay."

"What are you saying, Pablo?" Mike asked.

"Oh, nothing at all, Michiru," Pablo said.

"Mina, what did Pablo tell you?" Hazuki asked.

"You really want to know?" Mina said. Hazuki nodded. Mina sighed before speaking again. "He said that Ichiro is gay." Everyone then glanced over to Mike.

"Yes, Ichiro is gay," Mike said. "But don't tell anyone else about it."

"So, he's in the closet, eh?" Hazuki asked.

"Pretty much," Mike said. "Unlike me, who's so open about her sexuality."

"Okay…" Fumitsuki said.

_When my parents get home, I am going to kill them_, she then thought to herself.

* * *

Back at the Nagano mountain cabin, Susumu was using some of the food that he bought earlier to make dinner for him and Yayoi.

"Yayoi, are you decent yet?" Susumu asked.

"Do I have to?" Yayoi moaned from down the hall.

"Yes," Susumu said.

"All right," Yayoi said. After another minute, Yayoi entered the room wearing her yukata. She then took a whiff of what Susumu was cooking. "Hmm, smells good."

"Thank you," Susumu said. "You do know I'm not much of a cook, right?'

"Well, we'll see," Yayoi said.

As soon as dinner was ready and served, Yayoi tasted a bit of it.

"Well?" Susumu said nervously.

"This is good, Susumu-san," Yayoi said. "And you say you're not much of a cook."

"Yayoi…" Susumu said, blushing upon saying that. He then quickly regained his composure and started eating again. Neither of them spoke until the dinner was over.

"Susumu…do you think we can see where you live?" Yayoi asked.

"Yayoi, are you serious?" Susumu asked. "I thought we were going the relationship a secret."

"We are," Yayoi said. "I'm just curious, that's all."

"Yayoi, I really don't think so," Susumu said. "And it's not just because I'm worried someone will find out about this…you really do _not_ want to see my apartment."

"Susumu…" Yayoi moaned.

"All right, we'll look at it on Wednesday," Susumu said. "Because tomorrow…I have plans for you, and they involve my camera." Yayoi then gave that seductive smile towards Susumu.

"Ah…" Yayoi said. "Can we sleep together tonight?"

"Not tonight, Yayoi," Susumu said. Yayoi moaned in response. "I mean, we can't sleep together _every_ night, now can we?"

"I guess not," Yayoi said. "I'm going to go take a bath. You want to join me?"

"Yayoi…" Susumu glared.

"All right," Yayoi said. She was then about to leave but stopped for a second. "Thanks for playing with me earlier." Susumu blushed profusely upon hearing that before heading to his room.

* * *

Back in Sapporo, Mutsuki and Satomi had just finished eating their dinner when the front door opened.

"I'm home!" Hikaru called from the front door.

"Daddy…" Mutsuki said, somewhat worried about hearing her dad's voice.

"Mu-chan…all I can say is 'good luck'," Satomi said. She then left the dining room and was heading for the hallway, where she ran into her husband. "Hikaru-kun…"

"Tomi, where are you going?" Hikaru asked.

"Well, Tami invited me to a hockey game over at the Makomanai, and I decided to take her up on her offer," Satomi said. "Plus, I figured you'd like it to just be you and Mutsuki."

"Thanks for thinking of me, Tomi," Hikaru said. "I guess I'll see you when you get back."

"See ya, stranger," Satomi said. The two shared a brief kiss on the lips before Satomi left the house and headed for her car. She then started it and drove off.

Over in Mutsuki's room, she was sitting on the bed while Hikaru locked the door behind him.

"Mutsuki, I am very disappointed in you," Hikaru said. "First, you punch Takahiro in the face during dinner. Then, you knocked out a police officer and spent the weekend in jail."

"I'm sorry…" Mutsuki said weakly.

"No, Mutsuki," Hikaru said. "You don't need to apologize to me. You need to apologize to Kobayashi, and you need to do it now."

"Daddy…" Mutsuki moaned.

"Mutsuki, you are my daughter, and I love you," Hikaru said. "But…you have to understand that Kobayashi Takahiro is my best friend, and that you two are going to have to get this problem settled, otherwise, we're going to have a real serious problem."

"You don't understand, dad!" Mutsuki yelled.

"No, _you_ don't understand, Mutsuki," Hikaru said. "You need to start acting more mature for your age. And until you do…you are grounded."

"Grounded?! Dad, I'm 28 years old! You can't ground me!" Mutsuki said.

"I can and I will!" Hikaru said, walking over to the door and unlocking it. "Ichimonji Mutsuki, you are not allowed to leave the house until you decide to make up with Kobayashi."

"But…"

"I have spoken!" Hikaru said, leaving the room, and slamming the door behind him. Mutsuki then fell onto the bed and cried into her pillow.

Hikaru then walked over to the nearest phone and dialed Satomi's cell phone number.

"Hi, Satomi?" Hikaru said. "We have a problem."

* * *

At the Gokajou Mansion, after Daichi had dropped Kazu off at the airport, and Akane off at the Tokushima University dormitory, he and Tommy were having dinner with Hiroto, Satsuki, and Mako.

"What is this?" Tommy asked.

"Some Chinese delicacy," Hiroto said. "Makoto made it."

"Mako made this?" Tommy wondered.

"Yeah," Mako said. "I learned it while I was in Okinawa visiting Misaki's parents."

"You met Misaki's parents?" Tommy asked. "So, you _are_ in a relationship."

"No!" Mako said. "Shinichi just wanted to meet the man that took his daughter off her feet." Shinichi Oshiro was Misaki's father, who also was born on the exact same day as Jackie Chan.

"Okay…" Tommy said.

"Hey, isn't Oshiro's mother Chinese?" Daichi asked.

"Technically, she's from Hong Kong, but yes," Mako said.

"Right…" Tommy said, continuing to eat his food, and making faces while doing so.

"Tomoki, don't make faces while eating your food," Hiroto said.

"Yes, papa-san," Tommy said. Satsuki then stood up from her chair.

"May I be excused, please?" Satsuki asked.

"Certain, Satsuki-chan," Hiroto said. "Where are you going, may I ask?"

"I'm going to call Chitose and Keni. See where they're at right now," Satsuki said.

"All right," Hiroto said. Satsuki then left the dining room and went over to the living room to make a phone call. She then dialed the number and awaited a response.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Chitose," Satsuki said.

"Oh, hi, Satsuki," Chitose said, using Keni's cell phone to communicate with his 'mother.' "We just got out of a Thai restaurant, and we're on our way home."

"You went to a Thai restaurant?" Satsuki said. "Let me guess…Kenichi's pick?"

"Yep," Chitose said. "I really enjoyed it."

"Really?" Satsuki said.

"Mm-hmm," Chitose said. "Actually, we're actually going to make one stop before we head on home."

"Where at?" Satsuki asked.

"We're going to Yamato's sister's workshop," Chitose said.

"Is Yamato still with you?" Satsuki asked.

"Nah, he's back at his garage," Chitose said. "We pretty much fixed a few cars before Keni decided to get the two of us dinner. Why?"

"I just remembered about Yamato," Satsuki said. "He was the brother of the girl that Mako was friends with during middle school and high school. I met her once. She's very nice."

"Interesting," Chitose said. "Oh, I think we're there, so I'll let you go now. We'll be home as soon as we can."

"Just try not to be too long, okay?" Satsuki asked.

"I'll try," Chitose said. "See ya, Satsuki."

"Bye," Satsuki said before she hung up.

Keni and Chitose then entered the workshop, causing the bell to ring once they opened the door.

"Hello there," a female voice said.

"Hey, Meg," Keni called out.

"Oh, hi, Kenichi," the woman, now known as Meg, said. "I just need to put some finishing touches and I'll be right there."

"Okay," Keni said. While they were waiting, Chitose noticed the many, many figurines in the workshop, including a few notable ones.

"Is that…" Chitose started to say.

"Roger Moore as Ian Fleming's James Bond 007? Yep," Keni said.

"Wow," Chitose said. "She makes figurines of famous people?"

"Yeah…and some non-famous people as well," Keni said.

"Really?" Chitose asked.

"Mm-hmm," Keni nodded. A minute or so later, a woman in her mid-20s entered the area. She was wearing a bandana designed like the Hawaiian flag on her head, as well as a gray work apron over a pink t-shirt and brown skirt.

"Hey, Keni," Meg said.

"Hi, Meg," Keni said. "Oh, I'd to introduce you to someone. Chitose, this is Yamato's younger sister, Megan Suzuki. Meg, this is Chitose Hitotose. My sister brought him to visit our family."

"I see," Meg said. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Hitotose."

"Please, call me Chi," Chitose said, shaking her hand. "Mind I call you Meg?"

"Not at all," Meg said.

"So, you've made all these figurines?" Chitose asked.

"Yep," Meg said.

"Wow…" Chitose said.

"Hey, Chi, you have that picture in your pocket?" Keni asked.

"Keni…I can't show her that!" Chitose said.

"Relax, Chi, I can keep a secret," Meg said.

"Well, all right," Chitose said. He then reached into his pocket and took our the picture of him along with his 'mothers' and sisters.

"Hmm…interesting," Meg said. "You want me to make figurines of these people?"

"Well…" Chitose started to say.

"Sure," Keni said. "When can they be ready?"

"KENI!"

"Let's see here…" Meg said. She then studied the picture for a minute before speaking again. "I'll say Friday morning at the latest. Now, I normally charge 1500 yen per carving, but since members of your family are friends with my family, and because I really like this kid, I'll do it for 1200 yen overall."

"Okay," Keni said.

"Hold on a sec…you'll really make figurines of those girls just by looking at the picture?" Chitose asked.

"And you as well, Mr. Hitotose…if that's okay with you," Meg said.

"Give me a minute," Chitose said. He then pulled Keni to the side.

"You know…those figurines would make good gifts for your teachers and sisters, man," Keni said.

"Hold on…explain to me how she can make accurate figurines from looking at a photograph," Chitose said.

"Chitose, let me just put it this way…artists are far better with photographs,"

"Okay…" Chitose said.

"Excuse me…" Meg called out to them. "But do you want me to do these figurines or not?"

"Huh?" Chitose said. "Oh, sure!" He then took out his wallet as Keni did the same. "Keni, you paid for the notebook and the dinner. At least let me pay for the figurines." He then checked inside and noticed something. "Darn, I don't have enough."

"You know what…it's on the house," Meg said.

"Really?" Chitose said. "Wow, thanks, Meg!"

"No problem," Meg said.

"A little factoid for you, Chitose," Keni whispered into Chitose's ear. "Meg was friends with my brother in middle school and high school."

"Ah…" Chitose said. "When were you born, Meg?"

"May 10, 1977 in Honolulu," Meg said.

"Thanks," Chitose said as he wrote down the info in his notebook. He also had information on Mutsuki, Kisaragi, Yayoi, Uzuki, Satsuki, Minazuki, Hazuki, Fumitsuki, Kanna, the Gokajou brothers, Hiroto "Giant" Gokajou, Shinobu Kondo, and Yamato Suzuki. "So you were friends with Mako, huh?"

"Yep," Meg said. "We even dated during the senior year, right around the time he went into wrestling."

"Ah…" Chitose said.

Some time later, Keni and Chitose were in the car, getting ready to leave. Meg was at the front door seeing them off.

"Thanks again!" Chitose said, waving from the passenger's side.

"No problem!" Meg said, waving goodbye to them as they drove off.

"So, what did you think of her, Chi?" Keni asked.

"Well, Satsuki was right. She was nice…much nicer than Yamato, I'll tell you that," Chitose said. Keni simply laughed upon hearing Chitose.

"Chitose, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," Keni said. As they were driving along, the two were listening to the news on the radio. "Oh, hell yeah!"

"What?" Chitose asked.

"That bitch that's been driving like a maniac…no, a total psycho…all throughout the country. You know about her?" Keni asked.

"I've heard about her. Why?" Chitose asked.

"She was arrested this past Saturday, and her trial begins tomorrow morning," Keni said. "It's too bad I won't be able to watch it, though."

"Why won't you be able to watch it?" Chitose asked.

"My eye appointment," Keni said. "It's set for 10, and the trial begins at the same time."

"Ah…" Chitose said.

Soon, the duo reached the Gokajou Mansion, and Keni pulled his Mustang into the garage. Inside, everyone was watching TV when there was a knock on the door.

"Somebody get that," Hiroto said.

"I ain't gettin' it," Tommy said. Everyone then glared at him. "WHAT?! Mako, you're closer to the door, you get it."

"Are you kidding? I've been waiting to look at this match for weeks now," Mako said.

"Daichi, you get it then," Tommy said.

"No way," Daichi said. "Besides, who won all those domino and card games earlier?"

"Point taken," Tommy said. He then looked at Satsuki.

"No," she simply said.

"I didn't even say it, sis!" Tommy said.

"I knew exactly what you were going to say," Satsuki said. The knocking continued.

"Oh, fine!" Tommy said as he stood up. "I'll get the door myself!" He then walked over to the door and opened it.

"Took you long enough," Keni said. He then removed his sunglasses and put them in his pocket. "Hi, guys."

"Hey, Keni," Mako said. "Hey, Chitose."

"Hey, guys," Chitose greeted them.

"What's that in your hand, Chitose?" Satsuki asked.

"It's a notebook," Chitose said. "Keni got it for me when we stopped at the convenience store."

"So, you decided to get the heads up on the upcoming semester, Chitose?" Satsuki asked.

"Actually, I bought it so I could jot down the information on all the people I've met over the past year or so," Chitose said.

"Let me look at it," Satsuki said.

"Okay…" Chitose said, nervously handing her the notebook. As she was skimming through it, Chitose sat down on the couch nest to Hiroto. "So, what are you guys watching?"

"It's a match from the 1985 Ultimate Boxing Tournament," Mako said.

"1985? That's the year I was born." Chitose said.

"And it was also the first year of the inaugural WrestleMania, but that's another story," Mako said. "Anyways, this match was between Ultimate Boxing legends Randy Madison and then-United States Heavyweight Champion, Ricky Lambert. Now, at the time, as is now, Lambert and Madison were brothers-in-law, as Ricky had married Randy's sister. This was coming at the end of the long feud between the two, and ironically, both were now fan favorites at the time of this match. Madison was originally the villain during their initial match at the previous year's UBT."

"Okay…" Chitose said, trying to take in all that informatio.

"Did you have to put my birthday on here, Chitose?" Satsuki asked.

"Well…" Chitose said.

"Never mind," Satuski said. She then had a mischievous look on her face. "Oh, Chitose…if you were wondering about the birthdays of the other moms…"

"I wasn't really, but I have a feeling you're going to tell me anyways," Chitose said.

"Mm-hmm," Satsuki said, handing him back the notebook. "Anyways, Mutsuki's is January 15, 1974. Yayoi's is March 21, 1974. And Uzuki's is April 1, 1977."

_1977?_ Chitose thought to himself. _She's older than I thought she was._

"That's all I know, seriously," Satsuki said.

"You don't know Kisaragi's?" Chitose asked.

"Well, I do know that her birthday is February 14, but that's it," Satsuki said. Chitose then had a somewhat startled look on his face as he wrote down the information. "You okay, Chitose?"

"Yeah…it's just that Uzuki's older than I thought she was," Chitose said.

"Wait a minute…now that I remember, Kisaragi's a year younger than me, Yayoi, and Mutsuki," Satsuki said.

"So, February 14, 1975, then?" Chitose said.

"Yep," Satsuki said.

"Oh, wait a second…any of you guys know anything personal about Shinobu Kondo?" Chitose asked.

"There's a newspaper article about him in my bedroom," Daichi said. "Let me go get it." He then stood up and left the room.

"Satsuki…"

"Yeah, Chitose?"

"If it's okay with you, can I sleep in Kazu's room tonight?" Chitose asked.

"Why, Chitose?" Satsuki asked.

"Maybe he's sick of looking at your naked body when he goes to sleep," Tommy said. Mako whacked him upside the head. "Hey!" Hiroto then whacked his youngest son upside the head. "Why is everyone against me?!"

"Because you're an idiot…and you're the youngest," Satsuki said. "Anyways, I guess it's okay, Chitose. Dad?"

"It's fine with me," Hiroto said. Just then, Daichi came back in with the newspaper.

"Here it is," Daichi said. "The Tokushima Shinbun, dated November 11, 1979."

"You keep old newspapers, Dai?" Chi asked.

"Yeah," Daichi said. "Here's an article on Kondo's Game Palace. It also mentions that the date of publication is the owner's 30th birthday."

"I see," Chitose said, doing the math in his head and writing down the information in his notebook. "Thanks, Dai."

"No problem, Chi," Daichi said.

A few hours later, when it was time for bed, Chitose, dressed in a white tank top and blue pajama shorts, was carrying a pillow to Kazu's room.

"Oh, come on, sis! Please?!" He heard Kenichi's voice.

"Keni, do you really need me to drive you to the optometrist's?" Satsuki asked her younger twin.

"Satsuki, you know they're going to be dilating my pupils at the appointment," Keni said. "Besides, you got your driver's license, right?"

"No thanks to Kazu," Satsuki said. "What time is your appointment anyways?"

"10:00," Keni said. "What time do you usually get home from jogging?" Satsuki then sighed in submission.

"Okay, Kenichi. You win," she said. "I'll take you."

"THANK YOU, MY SISTER!" Keni said, giving Satsuki a strong embrace.

"Kenichi!" Satsuki said, struggling to get out of her brother's embrace.

"Oops!" Keni said, letting go. "Sorry about that, sis."

"You know, you may not be as athletic as the rest of us, but you're just as strong," Satsuki said.

"Thanks for the comment," Keni said. Satsuki then went into her bedroom and shut the door behind her.

"Keni…just out of curiosity, did you play any sports in high school?" Chitose asked.

"Huh? Oh, hey, Chi," Keni said. "Well, I was the star pitcher on the high school baseball team. To tell you the truth, I was actually going to be a stuntman, but after my…you know…"

"Ah, yes," Chitose said. "The smoking habit."

"You know…this is the first time in a long time that I've gone a whole day without a cigarette," Keni said. "I think I might actually beat it this time."

"I hope you do, Keni," Chitose said. "Well, good night."

"Good night, Chitose," Keni said. At that moment, Satsuki's head peeked through her bedroom door.

"Keni, I need to borrow one of your shirts," Satsuki said.

"Satsuki, don't you have, like, 10 shirts in there?" Keni asked. "Besides, don't you usually sleep nude during the summer?"

"Well, I'm feeling a little chilly, okay?" Satsuki asked. "Plus, I want to wear something a little long."

"I'll go and ask dad if you can borrow one of his shirts, okay?" Keni said.

"Thanks, Keni," Satsuki said. She then turned to Chitose. "Good night, Chitose."

"Good night, Satsuki," Chitose said. Both 'mother' and 'son' went into their respective rooms. Keni then knocked on the door to Kazu's room again.

"Yeah?" Chitose said, peeking out of the room.

"I forgot to ask…did you enjoy today, Chitose?" Keni asked.

"Yes, I did, Keni," he said. "Thanks for the trip."

"Anytime," Keni said. The two then did a forearm bash before Chitose went back into the room and Keni went to go talk to his father.

* * *

Over in Niigata, Uzuki had fallen asleep on Suzuki's shoulder, while the TV was playing a random anime. Just then, the telephone rang, which was a Kamen Rider phone. Suzuki tried to stand up, but found that Uzuki's arm was hooked around his.

"Okay, I need my arm, Uzuki-chan," Suzuki whispered. Uzuki simply moaned as she unconsciously let go of Suzuki's arm. He then stood up and walked over to the phone and answered it. "Hello?" He then had a surprised look. "Say that again? Thank you." He then hung up the phone. Suzuki then walked over to Uzuki and started shaking her. "Uzuki, wake up."

"Hmm?" Uzuki moaned. "What's up, Takashi?"

"We have to get out of here," Suzuki said.

"Why, what happened?"

"I'll tell you in a minute," Suzuki said. "Just start packing. I'm going to go get Kai and Kisaragi." He then headed over to one of the spare rooms.

"Okay," Uzuki said. She then yawned before getting up and heading over to Suzuki's bedroom.

Over in the spare bedroom, Kisaragi was resting comfortably on Kai's shoulder. Both were nude, and Kai's hair was down. Just then there was a knock on the door, startling them both.

"Kai? Kisaragi?" Suzuki said from the other side.

"Takashi?" Kai said, gently moving Kisaragi away from his shoulder. "What's going on?"

"Get your clothes on and get out here!" Suzuki said. "We need to talk!"

"Okay," Kai said. "Did you hear that, Kisa-chan? Whoa!" He turned and saw that Kisaragi was fully dressed.

"I heard, Kai," Kisaragi said.

"You have got to teach me how to do that," Kai said. Suzuki then knocked on the door again.

"Are you guys getting dressed or not?" Suzuki asked. The door then opened, and Kisaragi came out.

"He'll be right out, Mr. Suzuki," Kisaragi said before walking away.

"So, what's going on, Takashi?" Kai asked through the door.

"Well, one of my security guards called and said that he found one of Tagawa's agents right outside the building," Suzuki said.

"NANI?!" Kai said from the other side.

"He was already dead when the guard found him," Suzuki said. "The guard found remnants of a cyanide pill in his mouth."

"But what makes you think it's Tagawa?" Kai asked.

"Who else is after us?" Suzuki asked rhetorically. Kai then came out of the room, fully dressed and having his hair in a ponytail.

"I see your point," Kai said. "So, what now?"

"Kai, I need you to call Toshi and the others, and let them know of our situation," Suzuki said.

"Okay," Kai said. He then walked over to the Kamen Rider phone.

"Kisaragi, call your parents," Suzuki said.

"They're already on their way," Kisaragi said.

"Damn, you're good," Suzuki said. Kisaragi simply giggled in response.

Meanwhile, in Fukushima, Toshi was playing Baba-Nuki (kind of like Old Maid, only with a Joker added to the standard deck) with Natsuko when Toshi's cell phone rang.

"Is that yours?" Natsuko said.

"No, it's Yumiko's," Toshi said. "Of course it's mine." He then answered it. "Hello?"

"Toshi, are you still at your brother's place in Fukushima?" Kai asked.

"Yeah, Kai, we are," Toshi asked. "Why?"

"Tagawa found us, so we're leaving,"

"Where are you going?" Toshi asked.

"We don't know yet, but I suggest that you guys think about leaving as well," Kai said.

"Okay," Toshi said, as she saw Natsuko have a nervous look on her face. "We'll call you in the morning, man?"

"All right," Kai said. "Take care, bro."

"You too," Toshi said before he hung up.

"What did he say?" Natsuko asked.

"One of Tagawa's men might have found them, so they're leaving," Toshi said. "We may have to leave as well."

"Can it wait until the morning?" Natsuko asked. "I mean, most of us are pretty tired."

"I'll bet," Toshi said, causing Natsuko to blush a bit. "Do you know anywhere we can stay at, Natsuko?"

"Well, I have some family over in Sendai," Natsuko said. "But they just went though a family tragedy, so I don't know if they'll be able to take us."

"It's all right," Toshi said. "I was just asking."

"But we can still go there anyways," Natsuko said. "I mean, if you want to."

"We'll talk more about it in the morning," Toshi said. "Why don't you go on back to Mizuki?"

"Okay," Natsuko said, getting up off of the bed and heading for the door.

"Oh, and Natsuko…thanks for helping me back to my room earlier," Toshi said.

"Don't mention it," Natsuko said, smiling a bit before leaving the bedroom.

Over at the Saitama hotel, Gai had just gotten out of the shower and was drying himself off with a towel when there was a knock on his door.

"Just a second," Gai said. He then threw on a black bathrobe, walked over to the door, and opened it. "What is it, Tendou?"

"We lost contact with our man in Niigata, Tagawa-san," Tendou said.

"Which means only one thing…Uzuki is there," Gai said, smiling evilly.

"What do we do next, sir?" Tendou asked as the two of them went into the hotel room. Gai went over to the nightstand and opened a binder that had some pictures and documents in it. "Do we go after Shitennou?"

"WE will not go after her, Tendou," Gai said. "SHE will come to US." He then laughed evilly as he look at the photo of Chitose with his teacher-moms and sisters.

* * *

Over in Sapporo, Mutsuki was crying herself to sleep in her pillow.

Kisaragi and Kai were sleeping together in one of the bedrooms in the portable lab.

Yayoi was sleeping comfortably on the futon in her Nagano cabin bedroom.

Uzuki and Suzuki were sleeping in separate futons in another bedroom in the portable lab.

Satsuki was sleeping comfortably in her own bedroom, wearing one of her dad's t-shirts over a pair of black panties.

Chitose was sleeping comfortably in Kazu's bedroom.

Minazuki and Fumitsuki were sleeping in Mina's bedroom. Mina was in the bed, Fumitsuki was sleeping in a futon.

Hazuki was sleeping in her bedroom.

And Kanna was sleeping on the floor, not-so-comfortably, in one of the Miyamoto guest rooms.

* * *

By the way, the views expressed during this fic are not necessarily those of the author. Let's get that clear.

Thanks to jamesbondkid2001 for helping me out with bits and pieces of this chappie.

Oh, and I have a new poll on my profile (albeit not related to Happy Lesson). PLEASE vote on it.

Again, please read and review.


	21. Online Petition

Disclaimer: I do not own "Happy Lesson," its characters or concepts. They belong to Mutsumi Sasaki and KSS. Reader discretion is advised and certain celebrities have been impersonated. No celebrities were harmed in the creation of this story. Any similarity to the history of any person, living or dead, or any actual events is entirely coincidental and unintentional. Whew!

* * *

Have you heard! The owners of FanFiction are planning on taking down stories that have lemons! Apparently, they don't believe that stories that have such mature stuff should be allowed. Its not our fault that such things are interesting to us. If they wanted to do something, they would just make a MA rating category that contains stuff like that, bellow is a petition that is signed by authors who share the same feelings we do. Read it, Sign it, and Pass it on.

Greetings to the fine folk that moderate our site.

I, along with many, have been writing and posting on your fine site for years now, some of the better examples of up and coming writers out there are are now suddenly finding some of the stories we've come to love at risk of being removed without the chance to even rectify our errors.

For some, that means the permanent loss of a story. While I don't have anything that (I believe) violates your terms of use, there are those out there that are never able to recover a story in it's original form, this is something I find to be almost worthy of a legal action, as while we cannot claim ownership of a character, the stories are OURS and simply destroying them is something that is inexcusable.

It's quite easy to simply add an MA rating, additional filters or even a simple requirement for a free membership to read the stories presented here, and would cut down on hateful anonymous reviews and posts at the same time, so I have to question as to why such a thing, in all this time, simply wasn't added.

If you're worried about falsification of a registration then have an appropriate disclaimer and then there can be no dispute, you took your steps and the PARENTS didn't monitor their children, if that is even your concern. If it is more of a personal view or desire then please at least let people know and give them a chance to remove a story that you and yours find offensive, most people on the site are actually rather cordial when it comes to such requests.

While I cannot say for sure if this letter will even reach those that may be willing to listen, of if it's more akin to a wide spectrum purge in preparation for something bigger, please understand that you are going to be looseing a LARGE number of your writers, and thus your income from a lack of readers if there is not some level of action taken to help with this situation.

For those that may agree with this, please fell free to sign on and send this to the support server, maybe we can get some movement on this.

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